Rune Magic

Almost all thoughts and concepts that we know today exist upon Arthos because the world possesses these Axioms. Sometimes, usually as a result of dramatic or extinction-level events, Axioms are lost or destroyed. The very concept and idea of something is now gone, and it no longer exists. During the Age of Reverie when the God Salam entered the Dreamleaf, its defender, the Blue Dragon Doranth, used his anti-magic breath weapon to destroy it rather than risk Salam gaining control over it. The felling of the Dreamleaf would likely, although inadvertently, destroy all life. However, while the Dreamleaf was mortally wounded by Doranth’s attack, it was not outright destroyed. It was dying, but slowly. This traumatic event reverberated out through creation, and unfortunately shattered or destroyed numerous Axioms. Pieces of those Axioms exist in the form of Runes, incredibly powerful pieces of incomplete conceptual thought bound in a symbolic form. To the average mortal, with no ability to learn how to possess an Axiom, much less a piece of it, they are but a weird scribble on an old stone. However, to the Gods, Dragons and other creatures of that magnitude of power, they can be used as powerful magics. This is not to say Runes have no use to the mortal races. In fact, a few exceptionally well-trained and ambitious mortals have managed to tap the tiniest sliver of the power of a fragmented Axiom, and thus use it to perform arcane works out of the reach and scope of most other beings. Even these great works however are but a mere drop in the ocean compared to the original or potential purpose of the Rune in question. The Gods or Dragons that collect them most often have very little understanding of what they truly hold, or how they might exploit the fullest measure of the power inherent within a Rune.

Ley Lines and Nexus Points

Once Magic flowed from the Dreamleaf throughout Arthos in a webbed protective “Ley Sphere”, moderated by Doranth, the Firstborn of Magic. When the Dreamleaf was mortally wounded, the Ley Sphere shattered and the realms separated into the planes of existence we know today. These broken pieces of the Ley Sphere fell upon Arthos like a ball of loose yarn, sinking into the surface and forming a capillary-like web of raw arcane power. These intersecting veins, while a shell of their former glory, still carry magic to all of Arthos. Magic from these Ley Lines is pure and raw, unfashioned and unregulated, springing forth from the shattered remnants of the Axioms that governed all manner of things. They travel invisibly between all planes of existence, carrying with them bits and pieces of that Plane and depositing it in others. Fire comes from the Plane of Fire, and is transported along the Ley Lines to the Material Plane when we rub two sticks together fast enough, or when we call it to our hands with a spell. The use of pure magic is so unstable and dangerous to the unenlightened that it has to be diluted and split into a more manageable source. Most traditional mages and spell casters use that diluted magic in the spells they cast, though they may be unaware of its source. The point where two Ley Lines intersect is known as a Nexus Point, and these areas are rife with wild magic and energy. They are highly sought after by Gods, Kings, and great wizards of power. Almost every major Kingdom is located on or near a Nexus Point, as are many temples and mage towers. Both the Ley Lines and Nexus Points are filled with Wild Magic. Those that are powerful enough to tap into this source, such as ritual casters, find powerful and often unexpected results.

Draconic Magic

The Magic that the Firstborn call upon does not draw from the same sources as most spells, while it is still governed by the Axioms, it does not call upon the energy inherent in the leylines. Rather, Draconic Magic is drawn from the font of power that is a Dragon’s Hoard. A Hoard can be composed of many things both tangible and intangible, the only common rule linking them being that the nature of each is shaped by the temperament and passions of its Firstborn owner. Rathenoch the Red Dragon of War and Greed draws strength from the gold rendered in tribute unto him, while Essyllt, the Purple Dragon of the Fae, draws power from the Fae Favours given to her by her numerous followers. The larger the Hoard, the more power it provides to its draconic owner. This power can in turn be shared with mortals that the Dragon happens to find worthy. This is most commonly done after a long and arduous process in which the mortal proves that they are deserving of the powerful tools that a Dragon can provide, and they will only use said power in the service and advancement of the Dragon’s goals. These chosen are expected to grow the Hoard of the Firstborn patron, as well as wage war on agents of the Divine to maintain the order that the Firstborn promote.

Divine Magic

Like the Firstborn, the Gods have their own source of magic, a power source more or less completely disconnected from the network of ley-lines strewn across Arthos. While the basic principles of this power are roughly similar to that of the spheres commonly channelled by most mages, it differs in that it cannot be called upon by any mortal being without the express consent of the celestial being in question. The spheres of Light and Dark require that a connection be forged between the mortal and the consenting divine being for divine magic to be able to cast at all, and otherwise channelling this source of power that each and every God jealously guards is thought to be impossible. This metaphysical connection is what most beings have deemed “being chosen,” or “earning their god’s favour.” The Chosen mortal can then feel their God’s presence within their very soul, and they are instantly made aware should that conduit ever be severed. Once this connection has been established, the favoured spirit may commune with their god through prayer, thereby drawing a small but significant sliver of power from that particular God, before shaping it into spells and rituals. Through this connection, the God is always aware of the actions of their Chosen. Deviations from the God’s tenets are easily identified and can be punished, forgiven, or ignored as the God sees fit. A God may not always be watching their favoured scions, but any great transgressions will likely be noticed by them. Both the God and the mortal have the ability to end this conduit at any time. There have been occurrences where a God may feel that their Chosen is no longer properly serving their will, or perhaps has committed crimes that are unforgivable in their eyes. If that is the case, the God will sever the link, causing pain and an extreme sense of loss to their former servant. Likewise, a Chosen may choose to give up their faith, and with a simple act of will may intentionally sever the conduit. While this causes no pain or emotional loss to the Chosen, it will certainly rouse the ire of the slighted deity. Should a mortal have an open conduit with a God, they will be completely unable to channel or otherwise cast Draconic magic. The energies of the divine are anathema to the magic of the Firstborn, and vice-versa.

To most mortals, Light and Dark Magic appear to be respectively Good and Evil. While it is true that Dark magic may seem to lend itself to the sorts of pursuits that many societies would consider to be unethical, and that Light magic tends to be the opposite, the base nature of these energies is not particularly aspected one way or another. Unlike some magics such as Wytchcraft, these powers do not seem to be inherently corruptive. This observation applies to both the spirits of their wielders and the world that they live in unless that deity desires it so.

Deep Magic / Miscant Magic

Magic cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another. At its most basic level, the practice of magic involves arcane energy being drawn from a leyline or a higher power and then shaped into the form of a spell through an act of will. The energy that composes a spell cannot be drawn from nothing, nor can it be returned to nothing. Thus, this begs the question: “What becomes of wasted energy, such as when a spell is miscanted, or when a spell is dispelled or otherwise destroyed?”

The answer to that question lies in what has become known as Deep Magic. In ages past, this magical waste would sink to the lowest parts of each plane, where it would then be collected by the Black Tide, and ultimately recycled into pure ley energy again by the Dreamleaf. However, the destruction of the tree led to a partial breakdown in the natural systems that governed the flow of magical energy. While some of this magical energy is still recycled and fed into the leylines, not all of it is. Indeed, a not insignificant portion of this power simply rests inside the deepest parts of the planes, stagnating there until some being makes use of it. While strictly speaking it is still raw arcane power able to be shaped, this process of quiescence shapes the nature of the magic itself, changing its nature and granting it new and unique properties. The exact nature of these new aspects is difficult to define, as most professional mortal arcanists will outright refuse to work with it, with many saying that channelling it feels akin to bathing in sewage. But to those beings a little more open to unconventional sources of power, they find that when properly utilized, Deep Magic can still be quite effective. Sailors, Hedge Witches, and Shamans across Arthos have over time assembled a collection of powerful curses, grim maledictions, and abjurations that may not have been possible with the standard energies utilized by most mortal arcanists.

Also, it is important to note that while Deep Magic is commonly employed by the Demonic races, it itself is not inherently corrupting or evil in nature, and most of the stigma surrounding its use comes with its association with the demonic and its ability to form powerful curses. However, even the denizens of the Hellstack Plane must first corrupt it further with the power they pull from damned spirits in order to transform the energy into a form suitable for Wytchcraft. While all incantations that call upon a “Curse” must draw upon the power granted by Deep Magic, not all curses are then further tainted by this filtration through a demon or the Hellstack Plane, although many of them are. It has been theorized that the unique languishing properties of Deep Magic grant curses their lasting influence and potency, with many curses clinging to a spirit long after most spells would have faded away.

“Deep Magic? Pfft, that is the dregs of all other magics. It is Miscant Magic. When a spell is used up, miscanted, or otherwise discarded, there is waste. Used and dirty magic, like food that has been eaten then absorbed and is now useless to the body, is pushed down to the waste system. Here, in a properly functioning body, it is expelled through the anus to become fertilizer for true magic. This is Deep Magic. If you’ll excuse my Einish, it is magic shit. From a scholarly perspective, Deep Magic is not evil per se, although Deep Magic is often used as a base component in evil magic. It is true that it is the source of curses and ultimately the basis for Wytchcraft, but curses themselves have no moral or ethical foundation. It is only through the perversion of say, a demon, that Deep Magic becomes something horrific like Wytchcraft. 

Deep Magic is very heavy. Once used or “expelled,” like spirits who have taken their final death, it collects in the Black Tide that flows out of almost every plane of existence. To find miscant magic, one has to look in the deepest parts of the world, where this heavy magic gathers and collects. In a perfect world, with a complete and functioning Dreamleaf, this magic would be recycled by the Firstborn of Magic and redistributed back through the Ley Sphere. Since the sundering of the Dreamleaf, this miscant magic simply collects in the lowest parts of the plane, becoming stale and stagnant. It is no surprise then that those who make poor life decisions and survive on the waste and remnants of others’ hard work, often find a use for this waste magic and have transmuted it into a form most unappealing. This is the theory behind why miscant magic has been claimed by pirates and unsavory, lawless folk, as they truly are the bottom feeders of a functional magical society. To state it clearly, Miscant Magic is as appealing to Conclave as the last flat and warm sip in a mug of ale.”

-Red Arcanist Indomitable Onimarim

Conclave