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Forum -> Legendarium -> A Note on "Magic"
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Errant
[TSoH]
17-09-2017 03:50
| As you're quietly browsing the historical archives a dusty book catches your attention. The book in question at first glance seems to have been there a long time. It's written as if a teacher or a professor were addressing a student or apprentice. Despite the fading ink and the edges being slightly damaged you can still read most of it.
Gently sliding out the folded papers reveals the information carefully preserved for a long time.
"Magic" is actually based on alchemy akin to the medicinal mixing of plants, except this field focuses on the use of gemstones and their unique properties to affect and influence the world. Despite seeming to be at first extreme and unnatural, in reality it is all very explainable – nothing about "magic" is truly supernatural.
I will explain and cover some of the basic historical points that have led up to what more informed and educated individuals recognize as the field of Gem Alchemy.
Let's start by summarizing a basic understanding of summoning orbs. The visual result of breaking these orbs is the quick arrival of creatures ranging from rodents all the way to giant abominations. It is understandable how the manipulation of nature itself would appear magic to the untrained eye.
The origin of this magic - "Gem Alchemy" - is the elven capital of Penteza, a city known for its rife gambling. As a result, excess wealth has funded research studies into the natural world and interactions of materials with general life. Key to this topic is the "creature intelligence game" which is the finding of patterns of animal behaviours when left to choose between two items, such as a fish or a gem.
This connects to summoning orbs: quite clearly orbs are filled with materials known by researchers from the past to attract certain creatures en masse (as a cat to fish). Another example would be rats for some reason are attracted to a mix of ground Beryls and Diamonds and by simply placing in a glass bubble or "orb" and breaking in the desired location, you can draw a horde of the disease laden things from the nearby area. As for larger creatures the distance they must travel and amount that come to the origin of the orb varies.
A significant issue however is attracting particular species when several are attracted to Amethyst which attracts multiple species. Addition of different gems seems to neutralise the alluring factors of undesirables which treats this issue.
Current research also strongly suggests that spiders such as those at Webbers are allured by Diaspores *which they claim and hide in their lairs unsurprisingly* although as of yet no orbs have been made that exclusively summon them.
Another topic of current research is the attraction of bears and bats. This brings us next to the appearances and actual workings of enchantments, which in itself is not truly any sort of magic to at least those who are experienced human artisans, whose ancestors perfected the art generations ago.
The most simple explanation is that gems can be crushed, mixed, heated or otherwise modified to be in a usable form in which they can be rubbed or coated to an item such as armour or a weapon and bonded to it, no more magical than alloying tin and copper to make bronze. The base concepts are the same.
The following list will give basic ideas on the use of gems in this speciality.
Travel boosts derived from Amber, Avril, and Moonstone which all alloy with materials to lighten and make easier to carry at speed
Armor boosts derived from Spars which resist rust, flaws from brittleness, improves overall cohesion of materials.
Power boosts derived from Diamonds, increases material density and resistance to recoil from felt blows, more force is delivered to the target as result.
Aim boosts derived from garnets, reduces air resistance of materials allowing for better control, on weapons this means better accuracy, on armour one can move more freely.
The following gems are key in bonding many of the previous gems to items. Without them "enchanting" is impossible in many cases.
Quartz: cheap, more available ingredient, poor bonding properties
Beryl: reliable bonding in chemical mixes
Diaspore: a difficult gem to source due to attraction of spiders, nonetheless a powerful bonding agent that causes little waste of gems
As seen so far, nothing is truly magical about orbs or enchantments. These stereotypical ideas are in part made more mysterious by "witches and mages" who are often the more educated as how to induce these effects on the world. However be assured that most of it is theatrics *especially the staffs which are purely meant for symbolism*.
In the end it benefits most these groups to keep this knowledge seemingly "magical" as it were to ensure they can hold a place of power and prestige over others in the same way merchants control goods and trade to maintain their place in society.
Finally we come to the last of the three fields of "magic". Teleportation is perhaps the strangest of the three and is the hardest to understand, even for those who commonly make orbs. Very few truly understand the science behind them to an even moderately advanced level.
In an older time elves determined a link between *this area is faded and not legible* control where by building underground *this area is faded as well* lost but still funct...
It seems the rest of this page is unreadable, unfortunately. You consider reading the book the notes came out of but you can't seem to recall which one they originated from. After a while looking you decide to give up. You place the refolded notes on the top of some of the dusty books. Despite their age and chance of further decay, you suspect that the next person who happens by and investigates them may have better luck pursuing any leads. You leave the library passing by Karisade who is surrounded by several stacks of books, deep in research. You resist the temptation to push the largest stack onto them and manage to walk out of the library without incident. Upon reaching the cool Rose scented air outside, you make a decision on what next to do this day.
..............................................
Alternate Ending for hardcore players
You decide to embrace impulse and push the stack of books with a firm slow push. Karisade fails to notice until the many books falls on him, breaking like a wave on a beach falling everywhere.
You dash out of the library giggling as Karisade tries to wrestle his way out of the mess.
Edited on 18-09-2017 04:54 | |
Mr. Addy
Keeping this game free by adding ads to every topic |
| Errant
[TSoH]
17-09-2017 03:52
| This may be edited a bit in the near future for grammar issues. Id like to give special thinks to Karisade for his support early on in me writing this and also to Gargonite for helping organize and editing it.
List of people who contributed typo/grammar suggestions I used to edit so far: Gargonite (Lots of stuff), EndlessDreams (Your-You're correction), HellHound ([2] 04:16 HellHound[~X~]: That first sentence should be two.), and of course Karisade for doing a lot of various Editing, and GiZmo. 
Edited on 18-09-2017 04:55 | Whiskey
[O.G.]
20-09-2017 00:26
| Just call it Algemy. *nods*
Parent & Doctor Approved.
I don't have a drinking problem. I drink, I get drunk, I fall down. No problem.
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
-Aisle of Yew | Arioch
[Corps]
20-09-2017 01:46
| *Burn the Witch !!!!!*
Chuck Norris killed schrodinger's cat.
[1] 15:07 Shinobi[-TL-]: Well aren't you just the spawn of Stan >.> |
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Forum -> Legendarium -> A Note on "Magic"
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