Magick Schools
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An exeprt from the Priory Library on the general understanding of magery...
Magic is a common term, spoken of by men and women all over this world, but so often it is not truly understood. The point of this entry is to dispel any myths and educate the public on the true nature of magic.
Magic exists freely throughout the world, it surrounds everything, though it is only noticed when it is draw and shaped by a spellcaster. It is difficult to explain exactly how this feat is accomplished, and if it could be described on paper it would probably make the whole process much easier. As it is, however, it takes years of study of even be able to channel the smallest amount of energy. There is also a curious occurrence where only certain people are able to channel a large amount of energy. We know these people as “witchbloods,” men and women who are born in a unique way that allows them to use more powerful magic. Now, it is not entirely known how some channel, it just happens. Nor is it known why, exactly, someone is born witchblooded. Infact the entire process of actually channeling the energy is very difficult. Once that base is established, then writings and scrolls and teachings will propel the mage in his abilities.
Now, the Priory may not know why some can use magic and some cannot, but we do know how the actual magic works. As aforementioned, magic is all around us. For the most part, it is just there. It does not affect anyone, nor can it be seen or noticed, it is just present in our world. When a spell is cast, however, magic becomes very different. A magic user will begin his spellcast and draw in the magic around himself. By doing this, the natural field of magic that exists in the area is disturbed. It is bundled up, draw into a tight ball, then released. This has a most terrible effect if the caster is not properly trained. The released magic will ripple through the area around the caster and have a most alarming effect. When this happens the natural balance is disturbed. If too much energy is released and not controlled it can have ill effects, anything living around the caster will feel weakened and short of breathe and plants may twist in odd ways from the waves or simply die. This is the origin of many of the “evil” myths about magic. They are not myths, however, bad things will happen when untrained people try and channel magic energy. This is why the Priory strides to stop rogue spell casters and only allows those who are properly trained to cast. I cannot stress this point enough, magic is dangerous. The untrained spellcaster can do horrible amounts of damage, therefore they must be stopped.
Now, with that said, I will discuss the schools of magic. Over the years men and women have been channeling and seen that it is most effective to use some sort of a “template” to acheive the best results. These “templates” are now known as spells. If one tries and casts without a spell it will do nothing, as the energy must be shaped and focused. These spells have been broken down into schools, dividing up the spells will better allow people to learn and understand.
It also should be noted that the common school is of course the easiest to learn. Almost anyone can take up the spells in this school and with little actual skill in casting, they can cast these spells. It seems, however, that not everyone can use the other schools. Those born with considerable potential will be more inclined to one school in specific. It is possible to learn new schools, but it is easiet to first perfect one school. Also, by learning some schools it will deny the caster the ability to learn other schools, as the principles of one may defy the other.
The Schools
Common School
 | The simplest of the schools, all magi first learn the fundamentals of magery before aspiring to a new school. The common spells range in breadth from healing to creating weaves of energy that cause physical harm. The school, the most practical and simplest to learn, offers a wide range of magical feats, yet their potency is often constrained. By specializing in another school a magi is capable of concentrating his studies to explore the true might of the arcane. |
Physical
Life Magick
 | The school of Life Magick has spent its years learning to manipulate the natural properties of living beings, tapping into the natural regenerative abilities of creatures to help or hinder recuperation. The most benign aspects of Life Magick work to heal other men and cure toxins, while more destructive forms of the school can be used to cause physical suffering or impairment. At its core, Life Magick works to aid others more than cause harm and to protect the caster. |
Changers
 | The Changers school has its roots in modifying the physical properties of living beings as well as the caster’s own physical traits. The school of Changers is the balance between Life Magick and Necromancy, relying on spells that both harm and aid others, but neither to the potency of its sister extremes. By tapping into the weave that makes up an individual, a Changer is capable of making another man stronger or weaker. More disciplined Changers are capable of modifying their own weave, taking on a new appearance or warping the shapes of others to cause pain. |
Necromancy
 | Necromancy is a perversion of Life Magicks and Changers, taking the concepts of physical manipulation to the extreme of devastating physical harm and death. Necromancers excel at weakening others and causing pain, but the school also ventures into the world of death, offering disciplined magicians the ability to re-animate corpses or summon specters. At the cost of its power, Necromancy seems to damn its followers both socially and mentally. Mercia and society have outlawed Necromancy, its adherents hunted down and killed whenever learned. |
Elemental
Fire
 | The Fire school draws its power from the chaotic nature of fire to cause harm to others. In the class of Elemental schools, Fire is the most destructive, its spells motivated by offense and war. At their most basic Fire magicians are capable of sending forth flames from their hands or guarding themselves with fields of fire. More advanced magicians are capable of summoning forth great torrents of fire and smoke to the pain of others. The weakness of the Fire school is its lack of concern for the caster and his safety. Spells orientated to defense or protecting the caster are limited compared to the other elemental schools and most every other school. |
Nature
 | The school of nature draws its power from the more controllable elements of earth and air, striking a balance between its sister schools of Fire and Ice. Nature spells can inflict both harm or aid the caster’s defense, a magician capable of summoning forth whirlwinds or calling lightning from the sky. As a result of Nature’s research into both offensive and defensive arts, the spells learned are less potent than its sister schools. Those elemental magicians seeking versatility would do well to research Nature. |
Ice
 | Ice magicians draw their power from the passive nature of water to defend themselves against attackers. Where its sister schools of Fire and Nature have some emphasis in offense, the school of Ice is primarily concerned with defensive arts, though is not so specialized as to be unable to harm others. The most basic Ice magicians are capable of constructing barriers of ice or slowing others by freezing them while more advanced magicians can twist threads of water in order to summon blizzards or project shards of ice. |
Transient
Makers
 | Makers deal with the art of wards and glyphs, manipulating the transient aspects of the world to construct barriers or traps and, at its greatest, manipulate the very fabric of space and distance. The school of Makers is one of the most difficult to understand. Its arts allow the caster to move themselves throughout the world with the blink of an eye or construct barriers of wards that trap creatures inside. The difficulty of each of these task requires time. Most Maker spells are much slower than those of other schools, but their potency is far greater. The basic Maker is capable of laying wards that act as traps while more advanced Makers are capable of opening gateways that span space and time. As a result of its heavy emphasis on utility and wards, the Maker school is fairly lacking in direct damage or physical enhancement. |
Enchanters
 | The school of Enchanters is a strange balance between its sister schools of Makers and Conjuration. Enchanters are concerned with the properties of inanimate objects, their skills allowing blades to be made sharper or yield potent side effects. More powerful enchanters are capable of animating the inanimate in order to bring life to golems or spinning weaponry. The spells worked by enchanters are quicker than those of Makers, but still rely on the core concepts of glyphs and wards. |
Conjuration
 | The Conjuration school has evolved over time from borrowing concepts from both Makers and Enchanters to become something in its own right. Using the basic understanding of glyphs and wards, Conjurers are capable of constructing barriers between themselves and the chaos beyond Terra, bridging the gap in order to summon forth entities. Basic spells in Conjuration allow a caster to summon animals or creatures while more disciplined magicians are capable of constructing beings of their own imagination or summoning creatures from the great abyss. Like its sister schools, Conjuration requires a great time to accomplish its feats and deals little in physical enhancement or direct damage, but a Conjurer is not without his tricks to aid in unforeseen hostile situations. |
Mental
Illusion
 | The school of Illusions centers on the manipulation of threads of light and the mind to create a false reality on all whom are watching. Strong willed individuals may be able to see through the ruse, but over time illusionary magicians have become increasingly powerful in their ability to warp other’s perspective of reality. Basic Illusionists are capable of creating false images or walls that lead onlookers astray while more masterful scholars are capable of crippling the minds of others to instill fear or even pain. The school of Illusions deals primarily with images and appearance, and as such, does not venture far into the realm of dealing harm as would an Elemental school. However, an Illusionist is not without his ability to deter others from raising a challenge. |
Mental
 | Mental magicians rely uniquely on threads of the mind to manipulate the thoughts of others. Where Illusionists deal with vision and warping peoples perception of the physical world, Mental magicians are able to tap into the very essence of other being’s minds. The results are potent, but require a great deal of concentration that typically requires a Mental magician to address one target at a time. The benign arts of the Mental school tasks such as telepathy or removing one’s own fear. Far greater Mental magicians are capable of striking blows into another man’s mind, hypnotic suggestion, or even possession. |
Prophecy
 | Lost in the Breaking of the World, the school of Prophecy was dedicated to the arts of tapping into the world weave to perceive the path of the time. Where Mental magics were capable of singling out a mind, Prophecy worked on a far grander scale that tapped into the thoughts of all to augur the future. Little remains of the school of Prophecy, other schools stealing away at some of the ideas, yet the majority of the arts have been lost. Prophecy was said to be one of the greatest abilities of the Earthmasters and was known only to a select few Zealans. Shards of its power remain, scattered across lands long forgotten and untrod. |
