Arcane Arts, Theurgy, and Blight

A Forbidden Art

  Illusions, dazzling the eye and fooling logic. Conjurations, cheap parlor tricks, miraculous feedings of starving towns. Destructive Evocations and protective Abjurations. Divinations that prevent disaster, Enchantments that addle the mind. Terrible feats of Necromancy and Sangromancy.   Magic.   Wonderful and forbidden. Taboo and intriguing. In it may lie the key to the Bloodless Land's salvation, or the secret to bring about its apocalypse.   But such idealism is not to be found in the land of Ravengrin. Far be it from the mighty Eitrideans to be thought of as romantics, or the dwarves as impractical, for the proud Peoples of Ambition to live anywhere but in the moment. To the intelligent races of Eitridea - and even beyond - the only significance of magic is whatever means can be found to prevent its destructive power, and its effect on the mind and body if left unchecked.   That is not to say that this destructive power has not been harnessed by every race, at one time or another.  

A Corrupting Infection

  Blight. The word strikes fear in the mind of every human scholar, every elven sage, every dragonborn Soulsinger. A word that perfectly encompasses the effect of magic on its user - corrupting all three components of their existence: body, mind, and soul. The greater the power of the magic, the worse its toll on the magician.   All who dare try to harness the raw power of the mystic arts - or venture near places where magic lies heavily - risk the corruption of Blight, and all are aware of its spread. The buildup of dark, aggressive forces, that confuse the mind, drive one to rage and violence. But within Blight is an energy like no other, that as it corrupts the soul, can fuel even greater magical feats. Accomplishments nothing short of miracles.  

Eitridean Discrimination

    During the greater part of Eitridea's reign, the crown made great attempts at controlling and mitigating who could practice magic and how they could do it. Eitridea divided magic into two categories: The Sanctioned Practices and the Unsanctioned Practices.   The Sanctioned Practices were those that were in some degree allowed, though not supported, consisting of theurgy and some wizardry. Despite their so-called acceptance, however, there has always been underlying prejudice against magic of any kind.   Naturally, the Unsanctioned Practices were those that were strictly forbidden during the reign of Eitridea. These arcane arts are those that bring about the greatest Blight, but also hold the greatest power: sorcery, witchcraft, and most wizardry.   For centuries, those gifted in these powers, or who studied the arcane arts, had to live in fear and isolation, hiding from their Eitridean oppressors. And still, city watchmen, former soldiers of Eitridea turned mercenaries and thugs, do their best to root out the presence of magic in their cities. But now that Eitridea has collapsed, those that were forced to live in hiding are now free to wander the lands. Free to use their gifts and curses, for better or for worse.  

The Sects

  Despite its taboo nature, magic in Ravengrin is more extensively categorized than one would expect. For centuries, there has been a system of organization used across many races and cultures in Ravengrin. This system separated magic into four distinct types, called Sects. These Sects are based on the sources of the magic, and the way in which they are wielded.   No one knows who first set about categorizing magic. The elves claim full credit, but it is equally possible that it was humans who first explored the Sects, before such practices were banned, and when there was still a modicum of friendliness between the First Kind and the humans.  

Theurgy

  Theurgy - the power of gods. The ability to bring healing to the sick, to sear the flesh of evildoers, to close wounds, to bring about utter destruction, to commune with the gods, to exorcize demons.   In these days, true theurgists are rare. Many priests and worshippers of varying gods claim to have been vested with the power of their deity, but they are no more than would-bes and self-proclaimeds. True theurgy has not been seen in Ravengrin for nigh on a century.   Theurgists live in a strange dichotomy between arcana and theology. In Eitridea, it is believed that magic comes from Prion, and that it is through him that the other deities grant their followers such a gift. And yet, even the most powerful theurgists are subject to the affect of Blight, seduced and eventually destroyed by its power. Different priests and prophets have their own theories and justifications for this: it is a result of demonic corruption, of the influence of the Elder Gods, or of Prion's disappearance. But as the darkness of the world grew, so did the potency of Blight. Little is able to justify such horror as being wrought by the hands of a noble deity.  

Sorcery

  Sorcery - the most feared and fascinating Sect of magic. Sorcery is the source of a wide - maybe infinite - range of power, that stems from within the sorcerer. It is raw, unbridled energy and force, which can by tapped into by the user to achieve incredibly feats.   Unlike other Sects, practicioners of sorcery were actively hunted down by the Eitridean crown. While other Sects could be culled easily enough via forbiddance, sorcery was an art far too dangerous to be left to run free through the countryside without precaution. Those that were caught were not killed - the Eitrideans weren't savages, after all - but branded. A Sorcerer's Brand, sometimes called a Pariah's Mark, can take many different shapes, but it was always on the forehead, where it could never be hidden. It is a mark of danger, outcast, and fear. Individuals with such a brand, when they lucky enough to be let into a settlement at all, are avoided and feared.  

Witchcraft

  Witchcraft is the wielding of the magic of nature. Life, death, growth, decay, the elements, light, and darkness. For generations, maybe millenia, it is said that true Witchcraft was a peaceful art, free from the rules of sorcery, or the corruption of Blight. But with the disappearance, maybe death of the Elder Gods, even the pure magic of nature has been corrupted.   During the reign of Eitridea, there was an attempt at outlawing Witchcraft, but to think that possible was naive in the highest extreme. Practitioners of Witchcraft, almost as a result of them practicing Witchcraft, are recluses, gifted in the art of seclusion, stealth, and avoidance. Enclaves of witches, wandering druids, and elven shamans are difficult to find, let alone expurgate.  

Wizardry

  Wizardry, or artificial sorcery, is the practice of replicating the effects of sorcery through long years of study, sometimes decades. In the past, there had been some powerful wizards in the service of the Eitridean Crown, but these have since been outlawed, and now only one remains.   Wizards are not cloistered scholars that gather in great schools of magic, to learn, teach, and commune. They are not knowledgeable sages, revered by the people of a village, living comfortably in a tower fortress, free to study their art as they please. Wizards are none of these things.   They are nameless explorers, wayward adventurers, unknown pilgrims. Wanderers with no support or sympathy, scrambling through deep caves and deserted dungeons, hunting for scraps of knowledge, spending long hours by campfire-light to copy scrolls and tablets, even as they disintegrate in their hands.   Despite their more scientific and removed means of magic, wizards are still subject to the effects of Blight.