Rhean Magic 2.0

Magic Revised

On the Nature of Magic
As has been discussed, the cosmos is governed by three great forces, mental, spiritual, and physical; and each of these has its own laws, as do the combinations of these forces. The world of Rhean occupies a unique position in that it is balanced between these forces. The world, then, has a set of rules which arise out of this balance, as well as rules governing each force. From these rules come all the laws of nature, i.e. heat, light, gravity, etc; even life that arose from Rhean is bound by these laws. However, they are not truly absolute. It is possible to temporarily and locally adjust the balance, so that one force can be made stronger than normal. When this is done, that force's laws can be used to alter the world. Likewise, by subtly controlling the balance, changes can be accomplished which do not break any rules, but instead alter probability or the pattern of the world. These changes that seem contrary to the established rules of the world are what are normally meant by the term "magic".

On the Forms of Magic
Magic behaves very differently based upon its source. The broadest distinction is which force is responsible for it: is it spiritual, mental, physical, or does it arise in balance? In addition, there is magic that arises from the anti-forces that also help drive the world, although they can easily cause great disaster. Separate magical traditions make use of these various forces, and stress different ideas, theories, and practices, so they appear and function very differently. Some of the more common of these are: Mages (Rhe and the East); Psionicists (Yar); Faerie Magic (elves); Elemental Magic (Allitoian and others); Witchcraft; Bardic Music (BardLands and the North); and Faith Magic, which stems from deities. All of these, at their most basic level, take advantage of the same rules, but the way in which they do so varies considerably.

On the Power of Language
Language, and particularly names, can hold special power. The reason for this lies in the mental realm. Since mind is a force, it exists throughout the world and provides continuity over time. Anything which exists for long enough will be remembered by the world itself, and by all things within it, although that memory may be dim. It is possible therefore to attract attention or even compel some portion of the world that can act by using an old language, and the older and less changed the better. Elvish or dwarvish is usually the best choice, but it should be noted that there are always limits; even the elves have not named everything. Certain names are better remembered than others, as well; it is said that the memories are still clear of everything the gods did when they walked the world, so great was their presence.

On Names and Invoking Powers
As should be apparent by now, all living things are connected in the pattern of the world, and beyond that even in the Cosmos. And, as mentioned above, names are remembered, and that memory can hold power. It is possible to cause amazing changes in the world through the invocation of names, but the owner of that name may also hear it. This is particularly true of beings who pay attention to such things, or who possess a particularly strong connection to the world. Naturally, the more the world remembers the name, the more of a disturbance it makes when it is uttered. Likewise, attaching epithets and descriptions to names, especially long-used phrases in an old tongue, make it much more noticeable. This notice can be troublesome for the invoker if they are not an ally of the power they call upon. However, if they are, for example, a priest, than this notice is often the goal of the invocation. Priestly magic is largely based upon recalling the deeds of their deity to the world, so that something similar will happen for them. If the deity notices, it can lend a bit more to the priest's effort, so that the effect is more powerful. Likewise, priests routinely pray for guidance and aid, and these entreaties can at least sometimes be heard and answered.

In general, names help forge connections. Inscribing an object with your name actually helps make it yours. And the more information, the stronger the connection. In addition to just a name, personal information and description can build and reinforce the mystical connection. Virtually all types of magic take advantage of this to some degree.

On Previous Connections
This rule can be summed up, "once together, always together". If, for example, if a page is torn from a book, it still bears a connection to the longer work. This fades with time, but never completely disappears. This also manifests in the idea of "Wholeness"; that is, a book, or a person, or a castle, is a unit entity, as well as the sum of a large number of individual parts. In general, magic prefers to affect a unit when possible. The power of the magic determines how large this can be. For example, most magics cannot affect an entire castle; rather, they affect a single block of stone. However, the size of that block is not, in most cases, all that important; it is the unit closest to the amount the spell can affect.

In addition to physically connected objects, associations can bind things together. For example, a person's name belongs to him, and he to it, even if he does not actively use it any longer. Likewise, a possession, once owned for a long period, remains, in this sense, associated with that person, even if lost, stolen, or traded. Any thing that bears such a connection is said, in magical terms, to have an Arcane Connection to the person. Parts of their own body, such as blood, always act as an Arcane Connection, but many other things can as well. Even an old pair of boots, worn out and discarded, can provide an Arcane Connection to the person who once wore them.

On Music
Music can have a powerful effect on the pattern of the world, as it in some ways exemplifies the balance. The sound is produced physically, remembered and passed along by minds, but appreciated and given life and beauty through Spirit. Even more powerful, of course, are those songs which are remembered, and which have words which themselves have power. See Song Magic for more infromation.

On the World of Dreams
Another consequence of the world's mind is its reflection in the world of dreams. The Yarrins made great study of this realm, and they held that it is the sum total of the mental forces of the world. It has only slight spiritual and physical characteristics. It generally reflects the real world, although most recent or temporary conditions will not appear, as they are not yet part of the memory of the world. It is possible for this realm to have impact both on dreaming individuals and on the physical world.

On Psionics
Psionics is using the internal forces of the self to affect the world about. Naturally, this also entails a great deal of self-awareness and control. True ability with this seems to require some sort of inborn gift; this talent is commonly found among the Yarrin people, but only seldom elsewhere. As the Yarrin bloodlines have become more dilute, so has this ability weakened. The primary differences between psionics and the other sorts of magic are based upon the internal nature of psionics; a psionicist does not require words or gestures to use their powers, and they do not, for the most part, work with magical or alchemical substances.

On the Shadow Realm
As has been stated, there are anti-forces that are the true opposites of the beneficial forces of creation. Where these are held in balance with the normal world is a strange realm known as the Shadow World. It is not known if it really has any connection with shadows - after all, shadows are a property of the world's laws - but it is called this both because it is sometimes possible to enter this realm through shadows, and because this strange land is dark and gloomy, bathed in perpetual twilight. The reason gates only function in shadow is simple: it is in shadow that the pattern of the world is dominated by a lack of something, rather than by the existence of something.

On Elemental Magic
One type of magic that can be learned and worked by man is elemental magic, which is the power of summoning and controlling the physical forces of the cosmos. Elemental magic uses a combination of techniques and words from many sources to accomplish its effects; it is known by many peoples. In particular, the Allitoians have a great deal of elemental lore. See Elemental Magic for more information.

On Faerie Magic
Faerie magic is the magic of elves and other creatures of the world with a relatively great amount of spirit in their make-up. This is not to say that this is the only magic the fae can do; this refers only to the power they can exert from their own spirit. Naturally, this is a spiritual power. See Spirit Magic for more information.

On the Great Runes
The Great Runes are said to be the creation of the gods of man, the first writing known to humanity. Not all of the Runes are known, and many exist only as copies of copies. Knowing the runes - or at least their lesser derivations - is one of the bases of the magical arts known to Rheen mages. The Runes possess power because their forms and meanings are etched into the Mind of the world. The term "Great Rune" refers to a Rune that is known in its original form; a "Lesser Rune" is a flawed copy of the original, and therefore possesses less power. Naturally, even those Great Runes that are still extent have Lesser Rune forms, and a given mage may only know the Lesser forms. Some theorists claim that even the Great Runes are merely copies, and that there are "Greater Runes" that they were patterned on. The Rune Lore skill involves knowledge and use of the Lesser Runes, while Rune Mastery is knowledge of the Great Runes. In addition to the basic Runes, there are certain changed forms and aditions that are used to modify the meaning or join Runes together into Phrases. The following are known Runes; an * indicates that a Great Rune form is known. See Rune Magic for more information.

On Tomes of Arcane Lore
Many of the theories, principles, and formulae of magic have been recorded over the years by practicioners of the arcane arts. It is possible to learn lost or forbidden secrets from these volumes, if one can read and decipher them. Each tome will be listed as being written in a particular language, and will have a translation difficulty TN and rank requirement listed. In addition, each will have a comprehension TN for Arcane Lore, and a rank minimum for the skill it applies to. There may be other requirements/ costs of reading such tomes; for example, some particularly disturbing works cost Stability or Mind. Each tome has one or more benefits. Most are able to act as a Source for an arcane skill. In this case, they may allow the initial purchase of the skill, or improvement to a listed Rank, or both. These books may also have specific knowledges that can be gained from them, such as a particular formula or incantation. Finally, these works often have more mundane information as well, such as diary entries, historical notes, or descriptions of various things encountered by the author.

On Higher-Order Magics
Most of the magic discussed so far is considered First-Order Magic; that is, it can all be produced by one type of magic, even if that is governed by multiple skills. Higher-Order magic is just that: magical effects requiring multiple types of magic to produce. For example, a mage might use Rune Magic in conjunction with Illusions, which he has made more real by infusing them with Shadow Magic. This would then be a Third-Order Effect. Orders of magic, in this sense, are most a scholarly idea, formulated by the mages of Rhe. Their studies were based upon their observation that all magic is ultimately related, and cannot therefore be mutually exclusive. Mages who invent or otherwise develop higher-order magics are normally very secretive about them, so most aspiring magic-users, such as the PC's, must figure these combinations out on their own.

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