Post by Morph on Feb 15, 2009 20:07:18 GMT -5
The Fundamentals of Magic
Magic is a powerful force in the world, and one that holds great variety within it. The term ‘magic’ is often used broadly, encompassing nearly all beyond the natural, although there are terms that may describe the workings of the energies that make the wonderful happen more appropriately and clearly, terms that shall now be explained.
ö, ÷, ø
In the world, there are forces interwoven with the fabric of reality, three of which are most recognizable. These three forces are termed by mages, clerics and philosophers who discuss these maters as the Phi, the Chi, and the Psi. The Phi is the force interwoven within each and every planet—or rather, each and every planet that holds life. This “lifestream” through the planet pervades through all the life forms that it harbours, and it is what ultimately sustains them. Those who learn to draw from the Phi as a source within them or even around them are the users of arcane magic: the wizards, the sorcerers and the warlocks. But there are also those who learn to open their Phi up, create a gateway of sorts within themselves to draw upon a force also composed of Phi, but from a different realm. Those who learn to do this are the users of divine magic: the clerics, the druids and the shamans. The Chi is a force often confused with the life force that is Phi, but in a sense it is similar to it, as it is just as essential to life as the Phi is. Chi is, to put it in the easiest of terms to describe it, the energy of the soul, a quintessential flow within us, and can be drawn upon just as one can draw upon the Phi. Those who learn to draw from the Chi as a source of ‘magic’—for ‘magic’ here is no longer a truly appropriate term—are the users of the arts martial that go beyond the natural: the monks, the warblades and the crusaders. Just like with the Phi, the Chi can be twisted as to produce a gateway through which one can pull a different sort of Chi, and those who learn to do this are the users of incarnum: the incarnates, the soulborn and the totemists. Finally, there is the force known as the Psi, and some say this force is the greatest of all, for it pervades the whole of the universe and the minds of those born in it. It is the source of the great mental powers, and those who learn to draw from it are the users of psionic powers: the psions, the psychic warriors and the wilders. And, true enough, one can use the Psi to open up a gate within their minds and draw from a different Psi, but this one appears hardest to draw from.
WARNING: Science fantasy stuff approaching. Do not continue if you hate science fantasy.
The force that is reached by opening the Psi-gate, is one that is a chaotic force of growth and change and some think may be the driving power behind evolution and the birth of galaxies; it is a force of creation, and referred to as the power of the unreal, and supposedly is the force that opposes the power of the divine. This one is rather hard to draw from, and living beings typically craft great machines imbued with force in a special manner to allow them to draw from this power as easily as a sorcerer draws from the Phi to cast spells or an incarnate draws from the Chi to shape soulmelds. Those who do not learn to harness this power often become attracted to creating things and become mechanics, and those who learn to draw from this source but are never able to reach their full potential due to lack of force-pulling machines for them to operate become artificers. Those who do gain access to such machines become the pilots of the Super-type Mecha. Others, with smaller machines that are more like equipment rather than vehicles become Alchemists (in the style of Full Metal Alchemist).
Others
Of course, there remains a group of people who can’t draw from the Phi, the Chi or the Psi. In fact, a great many people can’t use magic at all. Or psionic powers. Or incarnum. Or supernatural fighting maneuvers. Or pilot giant robots with superpowers. Many people are just ordinary folk—although amongst them is often exceptionally skilled ordinary folk: the barbarians, the rogues and the rangers. They are people who use their wits and a quick cut of a dagger or shot of an arrow rather than the workings of the forces—though some prefer to instead use raw power and fly into an all-consuming rage to destroy their enemies. Still, despite not being spellcasters or the like, they manage quite well. In fact, some manage to ‘emulate’ magic by using simple tricks, and there are also quite a few skilled craftsmen who can create Real-type Mecha, a kind of mecha intended for use by those who cannot draw upon the Psi.
Further, there are also other (‘lesser’ some might say) forces that either derive from a specific use of the three major forces, or a force is different all entirely (often not referred to as a force at all). Binding magic allows one to create pacts with beings that exist in a place altogether unimaginable for those living, existing beyond the three forces. Shadow magic is a kind of magic that draws from a parallel world right next to that of Earth, a realm of shadow and illusion, and as that world is a shadow of our own it possesses neither Phi, nor Chi nor Psi, but vague force that appears in some manners a blending—or rather, a faking—of the three forces. It appears that some arcane spellcasters, especially those who draw from the Phi around them rather then from within them, are capable of using small bits of this force as well as they pull little slices of it through the shadows in this world. Then there is truenaming magic, magic that uses the power of words, of truenames, the names used in creation. In fact, it was truenames that led to the creation of the three forces as well, ultimately allowing life as we know it to exist.
Magic is a powerful force in the world, and one that holds great variety within it. The term ‘magic’ is often used broadly, encompassing nearly all beyond the natural, although there are terms that may describe the workings of the energies that make the wonderful happen more appropriately and clearly, terms that shall now be explained.
ö, ÷, ø
In the world, there are forces interwoven with the fabric of reality, three of which are most recognizable. These three forces are termed by mages, clerics and philosophers who discuss these maters as the Phi, the Chi, and the Psi. The Phi is the force interwoven within each and every planet—or rather, each and every planet that holds life. This “lifestream” through the planet pervades through all the life forms that it harbours, and it is what ultimately sustains them. Those who learn to draw from the Phi as a source within them or even around them are the users of arcane magic: the wizards, the sorcerers and the warlocks. But there are also those who learn to open their Phi up, create a gateway of sorts within themselves to draw upon a force also composed of Phi, but from a different realm. Those who learn to do this are the users of divine magic: the clerics, the druids and the shamans. The Chi is a force often confused with the life force that is Phi, but in a sense it is similar to it, as it is just as essential to life as the Phi is. Chi is, to put it in the easiest of terms to describe it, the energy of the soul, a quintessential flow within us, and can be drawn upon just as one can draw upon the Phi. Those who learn to draw from the Chi as a source of ‘magic’—for ‘magic’ here is no longer a truly appropriate term—are the users of the arts martial that go beyond the natural: the monks, the warblades and the crusaders. Just like with the Phi, the Chi can be twisted as to produce a gateway through which one can pull a different sort of Chi, and those who learn to do this are the users of incarnum: the incarnates, the soulborn and the totemists. Finally, there is the force known as the Psi, and some say this force is the greatest of all, for it pervades the whole of the universe and the minds of those born in it. It is the source of the great mental powers, and those who learn to draw from it are the users of psionic powers: the psions, the psychic warriors and the wilders. And, true enough, one can use the Psi to open up a gate within their minds and draw from a different Psi, but this one appears hardest to draw from.
WARNING: Science fantasy stuff approaching. Do not continue if you hate science fantasy.
The force that is reached by opening the Psi-gate, is one that is a chaotic force of growth and change and some think may be the driving power behind evolution and the birth of galaxies; it is a force of creation, and referred to as the power of the unreal, and supposedly is the force that opposes the power of the divine. This one is rather hard to draw from, and living beings typically craft great machines imbued with force in a special manner to allow them to draw from this power as easily as a sorcerer draws from the Phi to cast spells or an incarnate draws from the Chi to shape soulmelds. Those who do not learn to harness this power often become attracted to creating things and become mechanics, and those who learn to draw from this source but are never able to reach their full potential due to lack of force-pulling machines for them to operate become artificers. Those who do gain access to such machines become the pilots of the Super-type Mecha. Others, with smaller machines that are more like equipment rather than vehicles become Alchemists (in the style of Full Metal Alchemist).
Others
Of course, there remains a group of people who can’t draw from the Phi, the Chi or the Psi. In fact, a great many people can’t use magic at all. Or psionic powers. Or incarnum. Or supernatural fighting maneuvers. Or pilot giant robots with superpowers. Many people are just ordinary folk—although amongst them is often exceptionally skilled ordinary folk: the barbarians, the rogues and the rangers. They are people who use their wits and a quick cut of a dagger or shot of an arrow rather than the workings of the forces—though some prefer to instead use raw power and fly into an all-consuming rage to destroy their enemies. Still, despite not being spellcasters or the like, they manage quite well. In fact, some manage to ‘emulate’ magic by using simple tricks, and there are also quite a few skilled craftsmen who can create Real-type Mecha, a kind of mecha intended for use by those who cannot draw upon the Psi.
Further, there are also other (‘lesser’ some might say) forces that either derive from a specific use of the three major forces, or a force is different all entirely (often not referred to as a force at all). Binding magic allows one to create pacts with beings that exist in a place altogether unimaginable for those living, existing beyond the three forces. Shadow magic is a kind of magic that draws from a parallel world right next to that of Earth, a realm of shadow and illusion, and as that world is a shadow of our own it possesses neither Phi, nor Chi nor Psi, but vague force that appears in some manners a blending—or rather, a faking—of the three forces. It appears that some arcane spellcasters, especially those who draw from the Phi around them rather then from within them, are capable of using small bits of this force as well as they pull little slices of it through the shadows in this world. Then there is truenaming magic, magic that uses the power of words, of truenames, the names used in creation. In fact, it was truenames that led to the creation of the three forces as well, ultimately allowing life as we know it to exist.