On the Subject of magic

The following is written by the Scholar Ekko Kondorrn, currently wanted by the queen, alive, in exchange for fame and fortune.

"There are many instances and uses of magic in our grand kingdom, and the art itself has been around for quite some time. Magic permeates the very fabric of our land, our economy, and even our very bodies, though few know it.

But magic itself is little understood or known. Special colleges are run that teach magic, but since the rise of the dark forces that seek to throw down the kingdom and our great and kind Ruler, they have seldom opened their doors to new students. I write this novel in the hopes that it shall be reprinted and spread, and that the basics of magic shall become understood, for those seeking to make use of the talents they find.


Chapter one: The Talent

Before digging into the meat of the matter, it must be understood that magic is of a finicky nature. It is not a science, nor is it something easily harnessed in it's natural form. Magic is like gravity, we know it is there, we feel it's effects and take advantage of it, but we cannot create it, nor control it's raw power. This is less true I suppose than the analogy suggests, for there are some people with a truly unique talent, an affinity for magic that goes beyond standard human nature.

We call individuals with a natural affinity for magic Ascendants, for reasons that will be explained later. If you are an Ascendant, and you'll know if you are, then I humbly hope to teach you what little I can in an effort to assist you in your journey to greatness.

More than likely however, you are not an Ascendant, but rather a Derivative, that is someone who understands and can use magic, but does not have magic in their blood.

There are two types of Derivative, You may be a channeler, or a crafter. Channelers are individuals who can, fittingly enough, channel magic through themselves to perform the tasks they wish. Crafters are capable of creating the magical spells and sigils that channelers and others make use of, more of that will be explained later.

To know if you are a derivative is easy. Find a piece of magical equipment, such as would be found on an airship, in a shop, or some other such place. Look at the object, and see if you can't find any of the magical lines and constructs that allow the magic to function (they'll appear as lines of light that shift and shimmer.

If you cannot see these, then I duely apologise, for there is no help to be found for you in this book. If you DO see them, then i implore you to continue reading.

Chapter 2: Origins of Magic

Magic is and has always been a force of the world, if it has a beginning then it lies with the very beginning of our world. There are some that believe magic was used by the gods to achieve their ends, to raise our lands above the low countries, to create life, to forge wonderous marvels such as the light bound crystals of Catharsis, or the stone of the seven.

For our purposes, we shall look at magic as we are able to use it. Ascendants are capable of tapping into the raw flow of magic around them, and may thus achieve things we can only dream of. For derivatives, we cannot actually use the magic, only filter it so it suits our purposes.

The Derivatives form of magic makes use of sigils to create magic constructs, through which the natural magic of the world flows and is formed to our needs. This form of magic, ironically enough was given to us by the Ancient Dragons, who have neither need nor reason for using such magic. The sigils are based off of their own language, indeed it is their alphabet and used when they are speaking amongst each other through letter or song of written form.

There are six basic sigils, one representing all of the elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Life, and Death. These sigils can be combined together to create new sigils, and then they can be written into each other to create constructs. As I said before, it is more of an art than a science, and experimentation is required to figure out how a particular spell or construct may function.

Ascendants, who have no need of such practices, use magic purely by instinct. They are said to be directly descendant of the gods who raised our noble lands from below. Thus is it also believed that, upon their death, shall they rise up and become gods themselves.