Magic in Calradia

Magic, and magic users, in Calradia are equally as varied as the lands and cultures of the average people. Magics of all kinds have been harnessed and utilized by powers throughout Calradian history. The current era has seen the greatest advancements in the magical arts, and the age of strife has incentivised all nations to experiment heavily with new magics to overcome their opponents. This has led to many advancements, though whispers abound among the people of horrific magical mistakes that have caused everything from turning a man into a newt, to zombifying whole towns.

 

The Winds of Magic

 

Throughout Calradia millions will stand outside on particularly clear nights, when the night sky will be covered in the colourful Purple-Green flows of the Winds of Magic. Even the most studious of arcane people do not know the complexities of the winds that flow in streams across the continent. what is known, is that when the winds of magic are strong in a place, magic will flow more easily from anyone who is magically inclined, but will also be harder to control. When the winds are absent, magics can be more difficult to harness, but will rarely get out of hand. Some scholars have been able to vaguely map the winds as they flow across the continent, but which direction the flow in remains unpredictable. What IS known, is that there are places where the winds more often coalesce, and others where they rarely touch. Magic users frequently flock to the Nexuses of the winds, and those looking to hide from the flee to the rescesses where they do not flow.

 

It is said by the Church of St. Aethelstan that their patron can himself control the Winds of Magic, and that his most devoted followers will find that the winds will flow in ways the benefit themselves more often than others, and that their influence be stronger on their spells. However, it is also said that the Greater Daemon Moth'Taron and the Fey Lady Aphrodicia can infiltrate minds and dreams through the winds.

 

Wizarding, and the Learned Magics

 

Wizarding schools (in high imperial known as Schola), were founded in many parts of the Calradian Empire, and have nurtered wizards of all types for centuries. In the days waning days before and since the split of the empire, some nations turned away from wizarding, while others increased their focus.

Wizards are largely concentrated around their schools in major cities, and prefer to study and practice from the safety of their schools, rarely venturing into the farmlands or wildlands of the surrounding countryside. Wizarding schools are generally owned/funded by the city/nation within which they reside, and so are generally obligated to lend their services to the defence of the realm in times of conflict. They also tend to take on some of the cultural tendencies of the cities within which they reside. For example, there is a higher proportion of elvish lordly wizards in Swadia, while wizards in the South will specialize in magic that manipulates the sands and Oases of their homeland.

Despite the schools, wizards remain relatively rare, due to the length of time it requires to educate them. It is very rare to find a competent wizard below the age of 60. Because of this, wizards are normally distributed sparingly, and are used when the success of a venture needs to be ensured. Thus, wizards are also prime targets for attack by opposing forces and are a resource that are closely protected.

The Lands of the Battanians and Vaegirs prefer to employ druids and sorcerers, viewing many of the wizards of the empire as weak old men that look down upon their "uncivilized" ways of life and the old gods.

Sorcery and Innate Magical Prowess

 

Some individuals are born with innate spellcasting abilities, normally manifesting in their teens. some bloodlines have been gifted with innate spellcasting by the boons and gifts of a deity in their families' past, while others are born with them for reasons none may ever know. These people are more sensitive to the winds of magic, and may even be effected by them physically, experiencing headaches or lethergy in their absence.

Sorcerers are sometimes treated with suspicion by the peoples of Calradia, due to the mysterious nature of their magical powers. Some of the more devout may mark them as heretics if their magic presents as too unholy. Some may even face outright hostility if their magic is viewed as daemonic by the wrong people. However, since most people in Calradia have not seen magic used beyond simple healing, many would not be able to tell the difference.

Sorcerers are fairly rare in Calradia, though not so rare that anyone would be particularly surprised to meet one at some point in their lives. They usually look exactly the same as normal people, and have taken on myriad roles and professions in society, so they tend to blend into society. sorcerors are sought after by any and all organizations for their magical powers, and will often find themselves in the employ of mercenary companies, merchant guilds, townships, criminal gangs, and everything in between.

Druids and the Magic of the Fey

 

Druids draw their powers from the natural forces, magics, and spirits of Calradia. To some druids, this means drawing their magic from the winds of magic aspects that are predominant in their regions, such as the Taiga winds of the North, or the Desert winds of the South. However, many druids draw their power from the nature spirits and powers that surround the Flora and Fauna of Calradia, and which are tied to the Primordial Goddess of the Fey, Eostre. It is for this reason that many Druids are beheld with suspicion by many, especially devout worshippers and church organizations. While Druids frequently do much good for the civilized peoples of all nations, they often have to overcome the initial suspicions that some (sometimes rightfully) place on them.

Due to how closely Druids are connected to their powers of origin, they vary widely in appearance, philosophy, prowess, and even personality from region to region. Two Druids of the same circle, but one from the Southern deserts and the orther from the Northern tundra, could be very different people with wildly different manifestations of magic.

 

Druids are revered highly in Battania, as well as in the harshest climates, such as the mountain ranges of the empire, the Deserts of the South, and the Northern Tundras. Though Druids are not looked upon well there, many still dwell in the forests and plains of Swadia as well.

Though uncommon, the members of the Fey Court often utilize druids to carry out their interests in the Mortal Realms.

Faith Magic, and the Powers of the Deities

 

The Clerics of Calradia draw their powers directly from deities, be them good, evil, or somewhere inbetween. All go through a rigourous process to indoctrinate them into the cult of whichever deity they yearn to serve, and go through numerous rites and rituals unique to their god, to prove themselves worthy of such power. In Much of Calradia, the churches are dedicated to Saints, and it is from here that they select their most ardent followers to become clerics in the name of their Saint. Not all Clerics specialize in battle though, some are specialized as healers, or as researchers and administrators of the church. For many adventurers though, a cleric is a holy person who has taken on a quest either given to them by their church or on their own volition according to their oaths of fealty to their Saint.

Clerics also exist for the Lords and Ladies of the Fey, and even Greater Daemons anoint their own clerics. what ties them all together is that their power comes from the Immortal Planes themselves, and clerics often exude an aura relevant to the realm from which their power originates. Clerics of order often exude courage and hope, inspiring those around them. Clerics of the Fey are incredibly insightful, but also frequently eratic. Plants grow faster around them, and wild beasts may be drawn to their presence. Clerics of the Daemon Prince exude horror and fear, they demand obedience of others and promise rewards for service, often forming their own cults in the underworlds of cities or on the fringes of societies.


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