**MAGIC!**

Here, you'll find information about magic in the Universe of The Thief of Lights...and no, shouting SHAZAM! won't be of help.



The Celestial Mandate is pretty much "What-to-do-what-NOT-to-do": while it's physically very hard to break the Mandate, those who do usually meet an untimely end...ONWARD!

Magic used to be very common in men and fae-creatures alike: it was part of every-day life,
and in the Age of Gods, even farmers knew how to use basic spells. Magic requires mana to be triggered,
a resource generated from the Mana Plains, a mysterious parallel dimension apparently
infinite. Mana is found anywhere and is spread through an invisible network, known as ley-lines.
Nowaday, magic is a secret art: those who wish to practice magic require either a 'Friend'
standing with Spiritus or a license.Licenseless mages are known as 'Renegades'and are hunted
byAcademias and Spiritus.
However, families that are friends to Spiritus (Alias, ancestors helped Spiritus in important
cases, such as the Second Leviathan war) automatically earn a license, inherited by every family
members.
Inhabitants of Spectraverse has the right to wield magic at will, as long as they respect
the Mandate and do not wage wars. Pure Elves and Hybrids are born with an incredible magical
proficiency, second only to Sprites and Spiritus.
The third place is occupied by Half-elves, Human hybrids and half-Sprites, bearing a rather
notable magic-proficiency.
Fourth and least are humans: number-wisely, Spiritus and Sprites are made of mana: Pure Elves
mages can harbour a great quantity of mana, around 10k units of mana. Magisters of Elves can
reach the impressive number of 50k units of mana, excluding eventual catalysts. Hybrids are usually
around 10k units of mana themselves. Half-elves and human-hybrids are monstrous, compared to
other mages: they can store an amount of 6k units ofmana, half-Sprites around 7.5k units of mana.
Humans, untrained and wielding no catalysts, store 400 units of mana. However, if empowered
by Dragon-blood, they can easily reach 7k and Arch-mages are usually around 6-7k, without catalysts.
Sir Thomas Arkwright has an incredible capacity of 18k units of mana, with three Dragon Hearts.
Because of their magical nature, Pure Elves are incredible magicians, employing thaumaturgy
in everyday's life. Elves usually use Creation Thaumaturgy and engine their cities with
incredible quantity of magic. They even decide if it will rain or shine or snow and
are able to transfer energy to allies. However, their incredible attunement to magic
caused them to ignore technological progress.
Technically, if an elf would clash a human mage, the Pure Elf is most likely to win...however,
due to their superb attitude, they might underestimate Men magecraft and pay their mistake
heavily.
An Important note: while Academia tends to name magic, it is not a requirement to pronounce
incantations: it is enough to 'want it', and any pronounced 'incantations' are merely scenery.
Academia tends to divide magic in cathegories, based on how advanced are they:

-Thaumaturgy: High-level magic is known as 'thaumaturgy', the craft that forges Miracles.
Although it cannot directly be compared to the lost magic from the Age of Gods or the thaumaturgy
practiced in Cults, it can still stand tall and effectively be used to harm Spiritus and can be
somewhat compared to Elven arts. Exemplar thaumaturgy are the 'Time thaumaturgy' of Dragon's
Blood and the 'Creation thaumaturgy' of Dark Edge.
Usually, every Academia has a thaumaturgy-class magic, and each of them vary in term of
complexity, expense in mana term and typology.

-Sorcery: Most magic nowaday is ranked under the cathegory of sorcery: Sorcery-ranked magic
consist in manipulation of basic elements: fire, earth and water. Sorcery also include
enchantments such as strengthening or weakening the structure of objects and also healing magic.
Sorcery is commonly practised in Academia, knowledge and discoveries are passed down to pupils
and fellow members.

-Spells: Spell-rank magic is the easiest and often used for menial tasks. A common spell
within mages is the ability to summon familiars or golems. Also, stationary defense enchantments
are ranked as spells.

-Runes and Songs: Runes aren't 'proper' magic: for example, the rune of fire generates fire,
and it is not the user that generates it. However, They tend to be forgotten by mages, since
they are considered weak and incovenient...too bad, if deployed correctly, Runes can be impenetrable
walls and be efficient tools of mass destruction.
Songs are a rudimental form of Magic, developed before the First Denial of Silver Authority.
Once again, magic doesn't come from the reciter, but from the words spoken. They aren't studied,
because they are unefficient and hard to find.

NOTE: Due to the very advanced nature of thaumaturgy, a man usually master two of them. Here's a list of exemplar thaumaturgies! You can even add one for approval!

-Light Thaumarturgy:

The spells of Zoroastrians rarely relied on Ley-lines or Mana Plains, but draw their power from Light of Sun and fires. During their dominance over Persia, Zoroastrians created many spells to use Light, harnessing its power to both heal and incinerate. They used great fires to communicate over vast distances, having one in every temple. The fires are nearly all extinguished by time, but the one within Academia of Tehran is still shining bright for those with the eyes to see it.

-Time Thaumaturgy

Time thaumaturgy is a thaumaturgy reserved and wielded by mages of Dragon's Blood: it has been developed by
Vorsak, whose brilliant mind managed to challenge the Mandate and create such thaumatury.
Time Thaumaturgy consist in either hastening or slowing the process of the caster's body: due
to the Mandate, it is not possible to use Time thaumaturgy as support. Additionally, mages of
Dragon's Blood tend to deploy such magic in extreme cases: time thaumaturgy can cause serious
internal damage if overused, and the mana cost is ridiculously high.
The Mechanism behind Time Thaumaturgy, in truth, is simple: the caster coats every inch of his
organism in mana and afterwards, mana works as an 'anti-time shield' allowing the caster to
move at inhuman speed, or in slow-motion.
-Exemplar Time thaumaturgy-
Shrouding the caster in literally a mountain of mana, his speed can increase to up to
four times a human's: this can deliver quite a punch, but it greatly damages the caster,
for a heart that beats four times faster can explode, and send in 'overload' vital organs.
The same theory works for slowing: however, tissues may go in a necrosis state, and as the
organism tries to recover the lost time, it might prove as lethal as hastening time...nothing
healing sorcery cannot resolve: the only issues are brain damage and bursted hearts.
-Mirrorheart Thaumaturgy

A high-level thaumaturgy exclusive to members of Crow's Claw: a thaumaturgy as unpredictable
as the nature of men, Mirrorheart thaumaturgy consist in crystallizing one's personality in
an object, one that cannot break and of great power. Crow's Claw is proud of such thaumaturgy
And Sigurdson himself leads the younglings toward their Crystallized Heart.The more one is
aware of his feelings, the stronger will the Crystallized heart be.
There is no real explanation of this thaumaturgy: once one discovered his Crystallized Heart,
it is enough to pronounce any sentence and wish the manifestation of the thaumaturgy.
Crow's Claw members usually use the form "Auftritt, mein Schwert" to manifest their Crystal
Heart. Obviously, the thaumaturgy requires mana for the summon and to support it, making it
fairly taxing.
-Exemplar Mirrorheart-
The Arch-mage's Mirrorheart manifests as a whirling ring of an unknown alloy that rotates
around him. It provides an exceptional magic resistance, absorbing spells and re-converting
them in basic mana. The ring can also be passed to others, at an incredible speed to pass them
the miraculous properties.
The mirrorheart interpretates the combative spirit of the Arch-mage, as well as his to
protect others, hence the form of a shield and the ability to pass it to others.
-Arcano-mechanica

While not really a thaumaturgy, Arcano-mechanica is the specialization of Liberty's Wings:
the constructed weapons are good enough to rival dwarves. It is a mix of everything: alchemy,
mana, mechanics to create the perfect anti-all weapons. Students of the Liberty's Wings may
become expert Arcane-mechanics.
Arcano-mechanical weapons are divided in two cathegories: Melee and firearms.
-Melee weapons are sturdy, lightweight and built to perfectly match the wielder's style:
most of them feature mana blades, making them formidable anti-beastkin and anti-leviathans
weapons. Most mages and students are proficient in wielding melee weapons.
-Fire arms, however, are the true innovation in Arcano-Mechanica: from the ridiculous
Silver bullets machine-gun, to powerful one-shot vintage guns. The firearms pretty much
resemble guns and their projectiles varies: from pure silver bullets to streams of heathened
mana.
-Exemplar Arcano-mechanica-
Sabers made of mana, flamethrowers that scorch the ground with heathed mana or revolvers
that fire mana-infused bullets.

-Creation Thaumaturgy

Another very advanced thaumaturgy, Creation is practiced in the Academia of Dark Edge.
Such thaumaturgy consist in the recreation of objects from nothingness, a marvel of magic.
Dark Edge is proud of Creation Thaumaturgy, for it allows them to travel lightly and without hinderence or
carrying expensive tools. Additionally, Creation Thaumaturgy can be used to create weapons,
and is exceptional with enchantments. Creations can range from stone walls to spears and
their strength is determined by how detailed was the imagined object, such as the material,
form and structure. However, the mana cost rises based on how great is the created structure
-Exemplar Creation Magic-
Creations of lens, scalpels, hammers, ink or pens to creation of spiked ground, fiery walls
and flat-sized work-stations.
-Dragon's Blood

Dragon's Blood is a process, complicated enough to be considered thaumaturgy: it consists in
implanting a magical catalyst, such as diamonds, in the body of a mage: the process may
easily be fatal, but the reward is great, for one's mana capacity gets triplicated.
Arkwright is known to carry three catalysts, making him the most durable Archmage in mana
terms.

-Ice Thaumaturgy

Ice Thaumaturgy consist in freezing airborne moistures or even liquids in a living being.
While it is obvious that it concerns temperature, ice thaumaturgy is characterized by an
immediate and instant drop, creating ice in the blink of an eye. Ice thaumaturgy is lethal,
whether it be having an icicle stuck in the head or being helplessly frozen. The only concern
is the rather short range, seven meters: the caster is able to freeze airborne moistures in an
area of seven meters, but require contact to freeze bodies of water and living beings.
-Exemplar ice thaumaturgy-
Winterbringer is a classic multiuse example of ice thaumaturgy: by condensing moistures
the mage is able to create a lance of variable length that can be used as a thrown weapon
or as a counterattack against enemies that get too close

-Mantra

Mantra is magic, relative to Songs: despite being rather simple, it is powerful enough
to be ranked as thaumaturgy. Mantras are sentences used to mantain focus and
achieve meditation. The Mantras deployed by the Red Sun usually serve as ultimate
defences against physical and magical attacks. The strength of mantra increases
over time and requires a costant flow of Mana, that however, is a little amount.
There are also offensive mantra, deployed to improve a weapon performance. It is usually used
to crack the hosts of Exodites, and grow stronger the more the mantra is repeated,
much like the defensive.
-Exemplar mantra-
Pronouncing the lines "O bright chariot that runs the heavenly sky, whose bright light casts
aside dark and restores hope, be my aegis" continuosly, will generate a perpetual barrier
whose strength increases as the mantra is pronounced over and over.

-Druidism

The most surprising thing about druidism is that, despite its magical nature, it doesn't
require mana: he who practices druidism needs mana only to haste the growth of trees, then
he can simply understand animals and trees. How? It is not known, for the Stormborn does
not share secrets. It is a highly underrated thaumaturgy: usually, a mage does not consider
the fact of roots entaglaging their feet, or being ambushed by a gorilla with murderous intent.
Druidism has but one restrain: the druid surely wants to speak, what about the animal?
A silent and lonely animal is harder to tame than herbivores such as squirrels. It is
still a great school of magic.
-Exemplar Druidism-
Obviously, animals don't have an universal language or anything close to our 'english':
Each familia has their own 'Speech' and several dialects: A druid learns them by spending
time with the animal. Seldom cases, itis the animal that learns the 'speech of men.

-Wind thaumaturgy
While wind-manipulation is advanced sorcery, Wind Thaumaturgy is incredibly complex and at
the same time, useful. Wind Sorcery can only hide odours and change its course, Wind thaumaturgy
uses wind to improve earing, to greatly boost the speed of projectiles and can even be used
to istantly sprint, fly and even as a blade to fend off those who get too close...obviously,
all has a price, but compared to other thaumaturgies it is quite convenient
-Exemplar wind thaumaturgy-
Windblade, a whip of pressured force able to torn metal and tear flesh.

Hey true Assasin, had a look through this, not read through the magic and how that works yet, but read all the introduction and it looks great, if possible i would like to sign up, and will look at getting a character written together, it may sound stupid but i have never built a character using mafgic , etc, only ever made a character based as a standard everydfay human, and may want a bit of help in my character design, as i don't want to make him broken( overpowered) etc or again underpowered and too weak to do anything, look forward to hearing back from you