Arcane Magic
The practice of magic, also called the arcane arts (and several other things-such as witchcraft, sorcery, the dark arts, etc.) is tapping into and harnessing the power of a magical field of energy that permeates all things. Mystra was the name of the former goddess of magic, before she was murdered by the vile lich, Vecna.
History
Mystra was the goddess's body as well as the source of all arcane magic. It was wrongly presumed that one could not exist without the other. Mystra controlled the mystical energy and funneled it to those who studied its' power and use. She did not arbitrate whether magic was being used for good or ill, but rather if proper steps were being taken to use magic to power a spell being cast. She guarded against the abuse of magic, and she taught the Elves, the first practitioners of the arcane arts, how to cast spells and channel arcane energy to power their mystic feats.
Sometime during the Primeval Era, the other sentient species of the Silver Shores began using magic as well. The Humans seemed particularly adept at it, though not as skilled as the elves who had millennia to practice and perfect their wizardry. For the Dwarves, magic did not come easy, and dwarf wizards were a rarity. Halflings were not as adept as the elves or humans, but not as clumsy with magic as dwarves were. Legends say that it was a halfling bard who learned to channel arcane energies and founded the concept of bardic magic.
Because of the "Divine Compact" (a contract between the gods and the fiends of the lower planes to not interfere directly or in person with the Natural World and mortal affairs) Mystra could not directly police the use of magic, despite her arcane energies permeating every bit of matter in the Natural World, and her "body" being a physical manifestation of it. But being a god, she oversaw the creation of great magical artifacts that possessed enough power to topple kingdoms. Mystra permitted arcane energies to be infused into mundane weapons and armor making those who wielded and donned such items to be feared in combat. Through visions and prayers, she could guide the mystic from her home on Dweomere through whatever mystic task they were undertaking.
Creating magical wands, or other arcane foci for spellcasting, were near common place amongst wizards. Staves that stored mystical energy to be used at a later time, as well as serving as a focus for spellcasting, were also frequently created. Wizards spent years in labs, researching mystical energy and creating thousands of spells over the centuries. These spells would wind up in wizard's spellbooks, transcribed on to scrolls to be traded or sold at gatherings of pracitioners of the arcane arts, or sold to magic emporiums and other types of stores to become a part of common daily commerce.
While travel between the upper and lower planes and the Natural World was not an everyday occurrence, powerful mystic "gates" were created to allow access to The Divine Isles and The Endless Sea. Because of the Divine Compact, Mystra would only allow certain powerful mages to succeed in the construction of these gates, providing the wizards would to use them judiciously and wisely.
The working of spellcraft consisted of three variable types of compnents;
- Verbal component; the casting of most spells required the chanting of words from the ancient arcane tongue. However, the words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion.
- Somantic component; the precise movement s of arms, hands, and intricate gestures of fingers for harnessing ambient magical power. And a
- Material component; the casting of some spells requires the ambient arcane energy to be drained from a particular object or material. In some cases, the magic being funneled into the Natural World would cause the material to be consumed, often times not. In the era of Mystra's existence, the stored magical energy from most material components could be transferred and stored into a "spellcasting focus," such as a wand, staff, glass orb, or crystal. In such cases, the foci needed to be comprised of certain materials (wood, glass, or gemstone) to store the transferred magic used in casting spells.
To become a wizard one would need to (and still do) spend years of study as an apprentice under the tutelage of a master of the mystic arts or attend one of the former prestigious "arcane universities", where the students would be taught and overseen by experienced wizards and mages. Only those with the highest of academic acumen would rise above their peers to able to practice magic in the realms.
The other profession that would wield what was called "bardic magic," need not spend years under the teachings of others; the ability to weave spells through their various entertainment medium was their arcane focus, though young and hopeful entertainers would seek out well known artists to learn their secrets of their trade. While it may have seemed like less work, bards would never reach the sheer might of a learned wizard.
Then there were those who, for one reason or another, took what the practitioners of the mystic arts termed a "shortcut." These beings would make a bargain or a "pact" with a powerful, otherworldly being from one of the upper or lower planes of existence. Classified by the mystic community as "warlocks," a mortal whose hunger and thirst for knowledge or power (or both) would entreat a cosmically powerful entity such as an arch-fey, devil lord or demon prince, or even worse-one of the eldritch horrors known as the "Forgotten Gods" and "Great Old Ones." The pact could be anything between the warlock and its otherwordly patron; obtaining a lost artifact, freeing an imprisoned entity, or selling one's soul to a fiend. The patron would bestow magical gifts and powers to the warlock in exchange for the warlock's service, or servitude. Many mages considered the price for such too great to pay.
Of course warlocks were not the only ones whose ambitions drowned their need for patience and restraint. Powerful wizards and arch-mages sought to push the boundaries of magic and therefore reality. Mystra would vigilantly observe these wizards to see if their experiments and desire to create more powerful artifacts, or exhume dark and forbidden magicks, would spell disaster for the world at large. If a spellcaster became too close to initiatting a cataclysmic or permenant reality altering event, Mystra would sever the wizard's connection to the ambient mystic forces.
Not all these wizards that sought to create more powerful magicks had nefarious intent. On the the 5th of Greenshade, in the year 2150 C.R., the Arch-Mage and Imperial Wizard of the Celinadian Empire, Rassilon (he who created the legendary sword, Gaurwaith), had sequestered himself in his tower, known as "Sorcerer's Spire" for several years, conducting magical research and experiments. Rumors and whispers say that Rassilon had gone too far. Mystra herself had pleaded with him to cease his experiements. According to legend, the arch-mage refused, and as if he was being punished, his tower exploded and Rassilon's remains or whereabouts were never discovered. It is not known what rules of magic he was about to break, or what safeguards he was seeking to overcome. What is known is that after the explosion ALL magic, arcane and divine cease to function within 10 leagues of the ruined tower.
Little more than three centuries later, an atrocity would be committed that would change all things magical in the realm. The mad emperor of Vaszkysa, the vile lich Vecna
began his own nefarious scheme for undoing all reality. Circa the year 2865 C.R., Vecna gained entrance to the upper planes, and slew the god of fortune and luck Kitsemus and Mystra herself. Vecna was stopped from destroying all of existence, by the valiant effort of Saint Cuthbert, but not before the undying wizard could absorb the divine essences (or lifeforces) of both deities and use that to ascend to godhood himself.Manifestation
The resulting after effects of Mystra's death proved somewhat disastrous for all practitioners of arcane magic. Mystic energy still permeated every bit of matter in the Natural World, but the rules of wielding magic had changed. The other professions were not affected as a lot of the following limitations already applied to bards, clerics, paladins, rangers, and warlocks. Only the wizards were now limited. Sages theorize it was because wizards and their practices drew upon Mystra more heavily than the other professions. These limitations still hold true to this day.
- Wizards now had a limited reserve of energy to draw upon. Weaving mystic forces proved to be hard on a mortal body. Using magic was no longer limitless. Practitioners of the mystic arts would need to rest their minds and bodies once their endurance was depleted before casting spells again. Once a being became too tired, their access to mystic energy ceased. Bards, clerics, paladins, rangers, and warlocks already faced this hindrance. (DM Note: This is a lore explanation for spell slots)
- Magic was once a unified field while Mystra "lived," the essence was whole as was it was also her body. Mystra was the source of all magic, and magic was the lifeforce of Mystra. Upon her death, magic became "fractured" into eight different channels, or types; abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation. A wizard after reaching a certain degree of education would need to do decide upon a focus of mastery of one of these types (also called "schools") of magic to truly begin practicing magic. This is also called declaring a "specialization" or "arcane tradition."
- Arcane foci no longer functioned. Those casting spells had to have the components on them that was required for the spell needed to be used by the spellcaster. Spell component pouches became quite the commodity and kept many simple leatherworkers in business. Wands were now used for storing spells for later use, staves for the same purpose or granting magical abilities, crystal balls used for scrying and divination magic, and rare gems to be consumed as spell components.
- All gates for other-planar travel cease to function. In fact, the Natural World is cut off from the upper and lower planes and the Endless Sea entirely. Only powerful summoning magic can be used to bring a denizen from those planes to this reality, and the summoned being typically is not that powerful.
- Magical research, exploration, and expansion has seem to hit a figurative wall. New spells are not being created. Nothing more powerful than the "ninth tier (DM Note: 9th level) of spells" has been explored or created. The number of spells that exist for this level of power and ability are but a handful, though these spells can alter the very fabric of reality, a couple even permanently.
Localization
Areas of dead magic began appearing across the SIlver Shores. When entering one of these zones, all magic ceases. Magical items lose their powers; spells cast before entering the dead zone has its effects end abruptly. A creature or being's natural yet magical like abilities, like a dragon's breath weapon or a cleric's channel divinity would still function, as these are a part of the being or bestowed upon them, and not infused with arcane magic like a magical dagger, potion, or scroll.
[Areas of wild magic also began appearing across the realms. A wild magic zone could cause a spell, or magical effect, to possibly have unexpected results. A spell could fail or be ten times more powerful and harder to control, or upon manifesting be a result from a different spell completely altogether.
Because magic became more taxing, unpredictable, and harder to access; gone were the days of every trader having a selection of spell scrolls for sale in his wagon, or the weaponsmith having a selection of low powered magical blades to sell at the Zylistan Great Bazzar. For these items to become magical in the past, they needed to be infused with a small portion of the wizard's magic that created them. Wizards became much stingier with how their magic was used and did not like it when it ended up in the hands of a stranger with a full coin purse. That's not to say that scrolls, potions, and wands weren't made, but the magic users who made them started keeping them for themselves.
Becoming a practitioner of the arcane arts became more difficult. It was already years of grueling study and tasks. Now, one must truly give up any semblance of having a mundane life, or lose hope of ever achieving one, if a being is to learn to become a wizard. Only the most intelligent and strong-willed succeed at the training and in the studies. Before Mystra's death, you could find at least one wizard or other type of arcane spellcaster in any village, city, or hamlet. A recent census done by the Grand Arcanum now surmises that possibly only one out of a thousand people are actually practitioners of the arcane arts. Maybe less than a hundred wizards that are licensed by the Arcanum practice in the Kingdom of Galador.
And last, but not least came the arrival of the innate spellcaster, beings who do not need to study spell books, called "sorcerers." The sorcerers are frowned upon by structered organizations or guilds dedicated to magic and its use, like the Grand Arcanum. They are considered "rogue spellcasters" or "wild spell slingers" and considered reckless and dangerous by other wizards...with probably a touch of jealousy. All of the power, but none of the work. These beings with a gift for magic did not appear or make themselves publicly known until after the effects of Mystra's death. Some have draconic blood coursing through their veins; descendants of a weird and unimaginable coupling between a dragon and a mortal. Other still seem to have born with a natural ability to harness and wield the ambient mystical force that permeates all things, not needing to learn an arcane tradition like wizards do.
Comments