Magic

Magic is common currency for nobility, clergy, wealthy merchants, and adventurers, but not regularly encountered by most other people on the continent. Everyone is aware that magic is real and will experience magical effects a few times throughout their lives, though incredibly few understand its mysterious workings. Common folk know that if a child shows signs of magical abilities, it is only a matter of time until the purple-robed mages of the Amethyst Academy arrive to take them as a ward.

There was a time when arcane magic users faced extreme persecution from the Faith of the Sacred Flame, and echoes of those prejudices remain. Superstitions and misconceptions are common. People who are not extensively schooled in magical lore don’t know how to distinguish between the different types of spellcasters — they are collectively referred to as ”mages.”

When everyday folk encounter a spellcaster who is not visibly a priest or paladin of the Sacred Flame, they assume that individual is a mageborn sorcerer performing arcane magic. If the mage isn’t wearing the purple robes of the Amethyst Academy, they are often mistrusted. However, apothecaries or witches sometimes dwell near rural communities or backwater towns brewing potions, telling fortunes, and treating illnesses and ailments. These caretakers have the hard-won trust of their communities thanks to the vital services they provide to others.

More astute individuals can detect the signs of obvious enchantment or bewitchment especially tavern owners, merchants, and the nobility, who interact with mages and magic more often. Folk in the cities of Caspia, Elyria, and Westemär are no more (or less) intimidated by a brandished spell than they are by a brandished sword.

People believe (correctly) that witches, trolls, and faeries live in the deep forests; dragons, giants, and manticores dwell in the far mountains, and that there are unseen worlds where demons and evil spirits dwell. They know stories about blood-drinking vampires, evil warlocks, and the righteous paladins who battle against them. Just as common folk don’t know the difference between different types of spellcasters, few can distinguish between different types of extraplanar and monstrous creatures. In conversation, it is common to refer to almost any otherworldly monster as a “demon,” whether the creature is in fact an aberration, monstrosity, or a devil.

While the myths and legends shared amongst common folk describe otherworlds and faerie realms, the workings of other planes and dimensions is a topic dimly understood. Only educated sages and acolytes can identify and distinguish between such places. Journeys to these realms are the stuff of heroes and legends.