etherwind posted

8/2/2019 Etherwind Posted

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Etherwind posted:

The Fundamentals of Magic

The Arcana (singular: Arcanum) are the ten different spheres of magic that together make up the

world. Any mage may learn any Arcanum, although each will-worker has an affinity for aparticular pair of Arcana and difficulties with a specific Arcanum.

Arcana are divided into two general categories: Gross and Subtle. Gross Arcana are those that,

when used to change the world, almost always cause reality to notice and resist the change with a

Paradox (explained later). Subtle Arcana are those that, even when used to change the world,

almost always go unnoticed by reality and do not immediately invoke its resistance. These

definitions are not absolute: it is possible to use Gross Arcana in a Subtle way, just as repeatedly

violating the laws of the world with Subtle Arcana can make it behave as though it is Gross.

Death is the Arcanum that covers the division between what lives and what dies, as well as those

things which cross freely between. Manipulating ghosts, speaking with the dead, severing soulsand stealing vital essences are the purview of Death. Death is a Subtle Arcanum.

Fate is the Arcanum that covers the principles of chance, destiny and luck. Weighting odds,

changing fortunes, cursing enemies and forging heroic destinies are the purview of Fate. Fate is a

Subtle Arcanum.

Forces is the Arcanum that covers the concepts of energy, momentum and impact. Moving

objects from afar, calling lightning, hurling fire and altering sounds are the purview of Forces.

Forces is a Gross Arcanum.

Life is the Arcanum that covers the domain of living things. Changing a living form, enhancing

physical abilities, healing torn tissues and even creating life are the purview of Life. Life is a

Gross Arcanum, save when it is used to heal, a fact with implications that mages continually

argue over.

Matter is the Arcanum that covers the expanse of non-living things. Transmuting one substance

into another, dissolving or weakening a material, hardening or strengthening a material and even

creating matter from thin air are the purview of Matter. Matter is a Gross Arcanum.

Mind is the Arcanum that covers thought and mental action. Enhancing faculties, reading

thoughts, changing memories and delving into astral realms are the purview of Mind. Mind is a

Subtle Arcanum.

Prime is the Arcanum that covers the raw stuff of magic. Dispelling magic, drawing down

supernal power, countering spells and creating phantasms of pure magical potential are the

purview of Prime. Prime is a Subtle Arcanum.

Space is the Arcanum that covers distance. Teleporting objects or people, observing from afar,

casting spells at extreme distance and changing the movement of others are the purview of


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Space. Space is a Gross Arcanum.

Spirit is the Arcanum that covers the domain of spirits. Conjuring spirits, manipulating their

desires, compelling their obedience, altering their natures and stepping into their world are the

purview of Spirit. Spirit is a Subtle Arcanum.

Time is the Arcanum that covers the passage of one moment into the next. Slowing or speeding

the passage of time, reading the future, viewing the past and discerning outcomes are the

purview of Time. Time is a Gross Arcanum.

Magic is performed by channelling power from the Supernal Realms and focusing it through

the lens of the mage's soul. Each mage awakens to one of the five Supernal Realms, forming an

indelible bond that allows them to pour magic into the world:

The Aether is the realm of Prime and Forces, where power rages in torrents that move in ways

as subtle as they are absolute, abode of angels and beings of flame. Those mages who awaken to

the Aether are called Obrimos.

Arcadia is the realm of Fate and Time, where destiny and dream subsume logic and reason,

abode of fairies and prophets. Those mages who awaken to Arcadia are called Acanthus.

Pandemonium is the realm of Mind and Space, where distance is a figment of the mind, abode

of inner demons and outer anomalies. Those mages who awaken to Pandemonium are called

Mastigos.

The Primal Wilds are the realm of Spirit and Life, where sensation is action and all is alive,

abode of spirits and animal totems. Those mages who awaken to the Primal Wilds are called

Thyrsus.

Stygia is the realm of Death and Matter, where forms change and functions alter, abode of ghosts

and constructs. Those mages who awaken to Stygia are called Moros.

To effectively channel this tremendous power from the Supernal Realms, mages seek to gain an

understanding of their souls, thereby shaping their spells. This self-knowledge, called Gnosis, is

the enlightenment for which mages strive.

Etherwind posted:

The Myth of the Exarchs

In ages past the Supernal Realms were close to the world, and magic flowed easily, ready to be

wielded by any will-worker who had the courage to quest for its power. The first mages made a

great city that towered into the heavens, and they ruled the world with supreme power that

reshaped reality to conform to the dictates of the human soul. Then, in their hubris, they built a

Celestial Ladder into the Supernal Realms and ascended to battle the very gods, overthrowing

them and installing themselves upon the throne.


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Ascended to godhood, these Exarchs saw clearly the decadence and perversions of their former

existence, and knew that if all were allowed to ascend, the very firmament of reality would be

undone. In their wisdom they broke the Celestial Ladder and destroyed the great city, wiping

even its name from reality, so that none could follow and threaten the world.

The destruction of the Celestial Ladder opened an Abyss between the Supernal Realms and the

newly Fallen World (some say that one of the Exarchs created the Abyss to contain the Fallen

World). The Abyss is the realm of nothing; it is the absence of everything; it is the negation of

the real and the death of magic. The Abyss hungers to exist, and it seeks to consume what it

cannot have with a madness that defies reason.

The Fallen World is surrounded by the Abyss, cut off from the source of magic, and thus remains

cloaked in the Lie. The Lie denies that magic is real, and seeks to make the world conform to

simple rules that hold no higher truths. When mages cast Gross Magic the Lie notices and seeks

to extinguish it, invoking Paradox and unleashing the horrors of the Abyss on those who would

dare defy the Lie. Fortunately, Subtle Magic (and Gross Magic used in Subtle ways) escapes theLie's notice, so long as it does not stretch probability.

So insidious is the Lie that most of humanity has fallen asleep under its sway, and the masses

cannot even see magic, rejecting its truths and forgetting whatever fragments of the higher

powers they witness. The vast majority of humanity are therefore called Sleepers, and when they

witness magic they call out to the Lie for answers, drawing its attention and increasing the

chance of Paradox. Not all humans are like this: some stumble through life with a dim awareness

of what they are missing. Not mages, but not asleep, these Sleepwalkers can witness magic

without calling out to the Lie, and they are valued by mages as servants and confidants.

Some paragons of humanity continue to awaken, however, whether by the direct command of the

Exarchs or through sheer strength of will. Some claim they experience Mystery Plays of

mundane events taking on supernatural symbolism; others say they spiritually travel to a distant

realm with a shining Watchtower (some fewer say they are forcibly dragged there against their

will). All sign their names and awaken. To these favoured and deserving few the Exarchs bestow

the highest of honours and the greatest of duties: their task is to guard the prison of the Fallen

World and to ensure humanity's continued survival in the face of cosmic threats. The mages who

adhere to this command are called the Seers of the Throne, and they rule the world with a

benevolent fist, seeking to please the Exarchs on the promise that one day, they, too, will be

given opportunity to ascend.

Yet not all mages behave with the wisdom and temperance that they should, and many who

awaken reject the Exarchs' commands, instead seeking to rebuild the Celestial Ladder and rule

over a new city. Taking symbolism from Plato, they have named the first city Atlantis, and they

call themselves the Pentacle, five different orders supposedly styled after those of the first city.

Not content with mere lunacy, the Pentacle blasphemes, claiming that some of those who

climbed the Celestial Ladder did not fall under the Exarchs' sway and still resist their just rule.

These they call the Oracles, and they credit them with the creation of the Watchtowers that


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continue to awaken humanity, celestial beacons that shine across the Abyss. For their

transgressions and their hubris the Pentacle has earned the eternal enmity of the Seers of the

Throne, but fortunately they pose no great danger: the Fallen World belongs to the Exarchs.

The Pentacle will convert or die. The Seers of the Throne will triumph. The Exarchs will reward

their servants. This is the truth.

Etherwind posted:

The Mysteries of Magic

Magic is divided into thirteen Practices, each representing a particular application of the Arcana.

These areas of knowledge are learned as understanding of the Arcana grows, becoming

incrementally more powerful or more easily applied as one ascends through each degree of

knowledge in the Arcana. Spells drawn from the higher Practices are more likely to be vulgar

than those from the lower Practices.

Practices of the InitiateFirst Degree ()

The Practice ofCompelling allows a mage to exert minor control over objects and forces within

the Arcanums purview. This level of knowledge is sufficient to activate or alter the direction of

these objects and energies, but not to change their nature in any way, nor conjure them from

nothing.

The Practice ofKnowing allows a mage to gain mystical understanding and knowledge related

to the Arcanum used or to any phenomena within its purview.

The Practice ofUnveiling allows a mage to mystically perceive, with regular senses, phenomena

related to the Arcanum.

Practices of the ApprenticeSecond Degree ()

The Practice ofRuling allows a mage to exert more powerful influence over phenomena related

to the Arcanum, allowing limited forms of control over their nature and strength.

The Practice ofShielding allows a mage to protect a target against harm, usually specific forms

of harm based on the Arcanum from which the shield is drawn.

The Practice ofVeiling allows a mage to conceal, disguise, or hide events and things within the

scope of the Arcanum from mundane observation.

Practices of the DiscipleThird Degree ()

The Practice ofFraying allows a mage to inflict harm or perform minor negative alterations

upon a target.


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The Practice ofPerfecting It allows a mage to strengthen, reinforce, or make other positive

changes to phenomena related to the Arcanum.

The Practice ofWeaving allows a mage to alter the functionalities or capabilities of events or

things within the Arcanums sphere of influence.

Practices of the AdeptFourth Degree ()

The Practice ofPatterningallows a mage to change phenomena within the Arcanums purview

into related things, events, or forms, or alter the functionality of these instances into entirely

different capabilities.

The Practice ofUnravelling allows a mage to inflict heavy damage upon a target, degrade its

functionality, or negatively alter it.

Practices of the MasterFifth Degree ()

The Practice ofMakingallows a mage to conjure phenomena within the Arcanums sphere of

influence from nothing.

The Practice ofUnmaking allows a mage to destroy, or inflict massive harm upon, a target.

There are rumours of further Practices, known only to those few who have achieved archmastery

in the Arcana, but these individuals are so secretive and rare that little concrete can be said about

them.

However incisive and useful the Practices are, they do little to mitigate the problems of Paradox.

Imbuing spells with Manathe raw power of magic, drawn from the Supernal Realmscanstrengthen them against the Lie, but this is costly and often prohibitively expensive.

To counter Paradox effectively, mages create dedicated Magical Tools, implements that help

focus the will and channel the higher powers of magic. These can take many forms, from wands

to scarves to cell phones and more (each Seer of the Throne creates a unique spoken word that

serves as a Magical Tool whenever it is invoked as part of spellcasting), usually of a material

appropriate to the mage's path or particular Arcana.

Mages also study Rotes, sequences of ritualised gestures made up of a series ofMudras, or

individual actions that represent a particular concept. Each Rote teaches a series of Mudras that,

when invoked, help will-workers focus a particular spell into being, lowering the chance that a

Paradox will occur. It is said that each Mudra corresponds to a word or idea in High Speech

the mostly-forgotten language of magicand thus many mages also inscribe sigils of High

Speech when preparing to cast extended spells, thereby creating foci for their mystical efforts.

Yet some mages seek the ability to cast their spells freely, without any regard for the Lie, and to

this end they create Soul Stones, physical manifestations of the potential of their souls. Creating

a Soul Stone lowers a mage's potential Gnosis and is an act of supreme hubris, as well as being


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dangerous, for if a Soul Stone is destroyed before it can be reabsorbed then the will-worker loses

a part of their very soul. Despite these dangers, some mages still create Soul Stones, ensorcelling

them and feeding them with Mana: doing so causes the immediate area around the Soul Stone to

become an extension of the mage's very being, and thus repulse the Lie, allowing magic to be

cast freely and without danger of Paradox.

Mages who achieve increasing levels of Gnosis can learn to reshape their very souls, changing

themselves from mere humans into something truly supernal. By remaking their souls in this

fashion they gain magical abilities that are immune to the Lie, Attainments that are expressions

of their very being and therefore as natural as breathing. Generations of will-workers have

passed down the secrets of these processes in a series ofLegacies, each with its unique

philosophy and abilities, some expressing the highest virtues and others showing the lowest

depravities. The former are called Legacies of the Right-Hand Path, while the latter are

Legacies of the Left-Hand Path.

Most will-workers eventually seek and are adopted into a Right-Handed Legacy, thereby finding

a means to remake themselves for the better, as like they remake the world. Others choose tofound their own Legacies, acquiring unique control over their souls and gaining prestige in the

wider community of will-workers. Some dangerous few seek out Left-Handed Legacies, lured by

the promise of power over the Abyss or eternal life: these are regarded contemptuously by other

mages, and often killed on sight when they are discovered.

The Seers of the Throne whisper that the Exarchs themselves practised Legacies when they

walked the earth as mortals, and that upon ascending they remade their Attainments into eternal

laws that could be learned and employed by their chosen few. These Prelacies are available to

those Seers of the Throne with the faith and courage to quest for them, proving their worth to

their masters and being rewarded with secret knowledge of the world. Acquiring a Prelacy

becoming a Prelateis a sign of favour from on high, but many Seers of the Throne fear thosewho have learned them, and wonder just how much of the mortal remains after communing with

the Exarchs.

etherwind posted

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