This is almost similar to a question asking about why the average person can't do magic in your world. But my title question is a little bit different though. Instead of the average person not doing magic. It's a talented person not being able to do magic. Well at least talented in the context of a world where Chi energy exist. Assuming Chi energy is also tied to martial arts too.

So I'm already making two assumptions about your world here.

1: Assuming not everybody is a Chi user in your world.

2: Assuming anybody can be a Chi user in your world with the right amount of training.

And again I'm also assuming your version of Chi energy is tied to martial arts too. Then how would this explain why some really talented fighters like Pro MMA fighters are not able to control their Chi?

In conclusion.

So any question you can ask about why the average person can't do magic in a setting. You can also ask the same questions when it comes to talented people too.

What kind of magic is illegal or taboo in your world? Also, which magics are rare or common?

First of all.. it’s always good to understand a little about how magic works in your world.

But only very briefly.. answer these first questions in just one sentence.

A) can anyone learn magic in your world? If not, what type of people (societal class, training, hereditary) gain magics?

B) how common (% of people) is magic in general, versus how common are powerful vs basic level mages?

C) does everyone in the world know about magic….Or is it hidden? Do the people who know about magic understand it…. Or is it mysterious?

————-

Ok.. now on to the main topic questions..

*seconary questions are just prompts..just examples.. only answer ones you want to that are relevant or add your own questions to answer here.

(If you want to also describe your magic system, do so at the very bottom of your comment, separated from the rest of your reply, TY)

———————— Question #1a: What magic is illegal ?

*secondary ?’s (examples)

• is it fire magic.. maybe polymorph.. perhaps there are magics that require blood sacrifice.
• are there magics that can stop you from breathing or stop your heart?
• has necromancy been outlawed?

Questions #1b: Why are they illegal? Who tries to enforce it? What is done to those who perform these magics?

————————— Question #2a What magics are taboo? (they aren’t illegal, but still scary, dangerous or maybe just disliked)

——- *secondary ?’s: (examples) Is mental manipulation frowned upon? Is sex magic seen as perverted? Can people read others minds? ——-

Questions #2b: What about your worlds cultures makes these magics seen as immoral or unacceptable “in polite society”?

————————— Question #3 which magics are rare or common?

——- *secondary ?’s (examples)

• is telepathy or teleportation very common?
• are people commonly trained in healing magics?
• can they speak to animals or make plants grow?

——-

Questions #3b: How do the very common magics affect the cultures and lives in the world? How does it change the way lives are lived on a day to day basis? Maybe some technologies are ignored because magic supersedes the need for them..

——- *secondary ?’s (examples)

• is it very rare to be able to fly.. or be invisible.. or have super strength?

——-

Questions #3c: Do the rare magics make certain people in your world in high demand? Are people who can do rare magics celebrities? Are they feared? How are these people treated/viewed by everyone else?

————————— For those of you who don’t have magic in your world…

.. hypothesize.. what magics would you think should be illegal.

Basically I know what I want to do, I just don't know how to do it with what I want to happen.

I need a magic system that touches the earth in ever way possible, the earth, animals, people as well, nature, weather etc.

I'm having trouble coming up with what it could be and how it could work. My only thought so far is maybe some sort of astrological reason? Two moons and when they all line up with the sun it sort of radiates the world? Although, I don't really want to explain the second moon and all the other issues that would arise with it as I assume the entire night and day, hours of light, etc would all change.

It's just a story for me but I'd like to get some better grasp on it.

I’m my world, there’s a group of monstrous spawn from basically the Merlin of our world, (who’s gained access to a powerful item that acts as the basis for these spawn) that is currently quelling a faction war inside their own race across the continent. The spawn are basically this guys left right and any other hand .

I was inspired by fate and another anime (people basically have a bunch of past lives and they can use magic or other stuff from those when they remember) to create this kind of system that grants these spawn their insane abilities. In essence, combining the throne of heros from fate (where the spirits and basically logs of existence for every famous character ever resides) and the the reincarnation thing.

What this system does is basically for each separate member of the round table, it takes one heroic character and one villainous character and twists their personalities, feats, and gear together to make the essence of the spawn. An example being the first seat of the round (no name yet), being composed of both King Arthur and vlad the impaler. Focusing on the abilities aspect, I’ve made it so spawn 1 can summon a spikes and stakes with the same qualities that Excalibur was said to have like being able to blind enemies with their radiance or possessing divine energy within and such.

I’d like opinions or ideas for the rest of the round or how to improve the system or any feedback In general (I’ll probably summarize this and add further context once i stop having a brain fart)

*Given

Hello all! I've been working on my main work, a series of flintlock fantasy novels set in an analogue of eighteenth century eastern North America for some time now and have flip-flopped back and forth numerous times over magic and how to work it into the story. It's been challenging to find a way to make it work in a way that supports the themes and setting. But I think I've finally stumbled onto it and wanted to hear what you think.

Now I figured out maybe close to two years ago now that alchemy was probably the way to go. It requires particular resources which could be a focus of colonial efforts and I think matches well with a flintlock fantasy aesthetic. But I've been trying to figure out how to make it operate in terms of providing enough magical effect to actually be a feature of the colonial and indigenous systems without straying over into "DnD but it's all potions instead of spells" territory. Today it hit me; leylines. You see, leylines would be either rifts in this dimension or overlaps with other ones depending on perspective & ideology, their very nature as a place where these realities' rules can bend and affect the things around them. So you end up with unobtanium style ores being found along them or things like Marvel's heart-shaped herb growing around them. Maybe even fantastical or sentient creatures. Particularly around things called nodes or wider, accumulated sites of power along the lines.

So much like explorer's irl sought out routes for trade the ones in my world would be mapping out these leylines and nodes. Particularly because alchemical items probably lose effectivity the farther away from a leyline or node they are. Which would give me a reason to have colonial advance mostly halted along this world's version of the Appalachians. The range has a leyline essentially running down the length of it, providing the tribes there with more magical firepower so to speak, to use in resisting settlement. There's probably also some room for differences in worldview and theology to come into play with indigenous people freely partaking of magical plants and some easily accessed surface metal but avoiding the utilization of magical animal species and really messing with the earth in an attempt to find minerals.

What in general do y'all think are the upper limits of a good alchemy system? Especially one that represents the sole form of magic seemingly available in a world. How do y'all work your alchemy even if it isn't your only magic?

This is part 6 of 6 so I'll put a link on the bottom of this post to the earlier ones.

The Metaphysics of my Universe the Voidweb: part 6 (Return of the je... nope not trying to get sued)

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The Spectrum of Life Within the Voidweb

Within the void web, living beings come in a myriad of shapes and sizes, each with unique spiritual properties tied to the one thing all living creatures have, souls. However, these varied differences also include whether a being exists primarily in the physical or the spiritual spheres of reality within the voidweb. Whiles all living beings exist somewhere on this spectrum, existing in both realms, the realm they are most tied to will affect how they grow and change over time, as well as some innate abilities. There are five primary classifications of living beings within the void web, Terrestrial, Ethereal, Astral, Aberrant, and Transcendent.

​

Terrestrial Beings: Terrestrial beings exist primarily in the physical realm, living bound by it's laws. Physical beings have a fixed, clearly defined form made up of no more than 32% quin and mana. This results in a comparative lack in conceptual weight when measured against Ethereal and Astral being. This means they have a harder time interacting with the spiritual sphere. However, they dominate in the physical realm. Yet, powerful or skilled terrestrial beings can create an astral form that allows them to more easily interact with the spiritual side of reality. Mortals of every form seem to be the archetypal terrestrial being and are the only beings seemingly able to produce the elemental spirit aspect aside from a select few deities. Titans are widely known to be the most powerful of all terrestrial beings, rivaling gods and primordials in power. Terrestrial beings commonly but not always have an affinity for any of the five primary physical elemental aspects of spirit, fire, air, water and earth.

​

Ethereal Beings: Existing in both the physical and spiritual spheres of the voidweb, ethereal beings are gestalt beings seen to represent the balance between physical law and spiritual concepts while being governed by both. With bodies made up of between 33% and 66% quin and mana they tend to have flexible physical form that take on aspects of their environment, and enough conceptual weight to in turn alter the environment around them, forming a sort of symbolic loop with the world around them. Ethereal beings with the knowledge and willpower can "fracture" themselves separating into a physical avatar that lacks their conceptual weight and an astral form that lacks their physical presence. Though dragons are seen as the perfect ethereal beings, Primordials are far and wide the most powerful of the ethereal beings within the void web, only seeing challenges in gods and titans. Ethereal beings often but have an affinity for the most abundant elemental aspect in the environment they were born in.

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Astral Beings: Spiritual beings with only the most tenuous reflections in the physical realm and bound far more by spiritual concepts than physical law, Astral being are the spiritual counter to terrestrial being. Formed of no less than 67% quin and mana astrals have ever changing forms governed by everything their environment, how they see themselves, and even how others perceive them. While they can affect the physical world it takes great effort. Despite this their presence has a conceptual weight high enough that it can be "felt" in the physical realm. Astrals can create physical Avatars that to interact with the physical world so long as they have the will and intent to maintain it. Despite angels being what most picture when speaking of astrals, gods are the most powerful of the astrals and rival both titans and primordials in power. Astral beings commonly but not always have an affinity for any of the five primary spiritual elemental aspects of spirit, life, radiant, death and shadow.

​

Aberrant Things: Existing in ways that defy, corrupt, deny, twist and infect both physical law and spiritual concepts, Aberrant things are creatures in the loosest sense of the word. Slipping into from some place beyond, their mere presence fundamentally alters reality itself, breaking down the laws of the Voidweb. Anything exposed to these... beings.... over an extended period of time becomes aberrant as well. This means that even though these entities are extremely rare, their presence acts like an infection that can spread out of control. No two aberrant things are alike, but they all warp reality in this way acting like a cancer that could consume the entire voidweb. Any perceived uniformity only through their interaction with the spheres of reality do they gain anything mortals would even consider a form and even then, those forms often leave mortals in a state fear, madness, and cosmic horror or cosmic bliss. While Gods, Primordials, and Titans are often left disgusted and fearful. Some have looked like masses of writhing tentacles and eye that leave people cowering in fear, there are stories of a town visited by and aberrant being that appeared like a silver flame that induced feelings of overwhelming pleasure, joy, comfort, and even a sense of cosmic bliss that enticed any who saw it to jump in and burn away to join with the flame. The most powerful of the aberrant things are known as elder things and judging the true extent of their power is an exercise in futility.

​

Transcendent Beings: Throughout the entirety of the void web there are only two known Transcendent beings, Synraal, the Architect and Rikaal, the Final Shape. Together they created the Voidweb and the physical laws and spiritual concepts that govern it and to this day they vigilantly protect their creation. Think of the voidweb as a spiderweb. Occasionally something flies into it and gets stuck, thrashing, trying to get free and all the while warping and damaging the web. These are aberrant beings. It's not so much a desire to corrupt as it's just an effect of them being there. Luckily for the voidweb there are two spiders that live on this web, one black, one white. The black one kills, devours, and removes those beings from the web and the white one repairs and strengthens the web so the whole web doesn't collapse. Both spiders know that if too many of these beings get stuck in the web and aren't removed it could draw the attention of larger… beings… to the web, entities that could corrupt or destroy the web entirely and force them to start over. The black spider is known as Rikaal, The Final Shape, and it hates starting over so it creates delicate tools throughout reality to snip away the corruption within the voidweb so its partner can repair and stabilize it. To this end, it aggressively seeks to remove corruption from the voidweb wherever it finds it. These tools are individuals chosen by Rikaal and are void walkers. Rikaal is the source of all void elemental aspect quin and mana. The white Spider is known as Synraal, The Architect, prefers to expand the voidweb, slowly increasing its size and having any part of the web broken down or made unstable threatens the overall structure of the web so it often creates tools to aid in stabilizing the web and repair the wed in the wake of the black spider’s Void walkers. These tools are individuals chosen by Synraal and are known as Sphere Menders. Synraal is the source of all emergence elemental aspect quin and mana. Within the voidweb these beings would likely be considered primordials, but that would fall short of what they truly are. In truth they are gods, titans and primordials rolled into one and are the ultimate power within the voidweb and the true creators of reality, maintaining its shape, form and laws and they exist both within reality and outside it. Some even believe they are actually a kind of aberrant being, likely a kind of elder thing, albeit ones whose existence and nature simply aligns with our own due to our existence within their voidweb. While physical description of the two vary wildly, there are some common details. Rikaal is often referred to as female by those who encounter it and aside from the roaring black hole at the heart of its formless black body is always said to be "wearing" an everchanging stone mask and gauntlets, while Synraal is seemingly always seen as male and is a formless mass of perpetually changing matter with a blazing white hole at its heart.

​

Part 1 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1buksdp/magic_across_the_voidweb_1_of_6_the_basics/

Part 2 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bux2tz/magic_across_the_voidweb_2_of_6_the_framework_and/

Part 3 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bvcxut/magic_across_the_voidweb_3_of_6_the_the_laws_of/

Part 4 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bwslp4/magic_across_the_voidweb_4_of_6_cultivation_and/

Part 5 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bwt34w/magic_across_the_voidweb_5_of_6_souls_and_æther/

This is part 5 of 6 so I'll put a link on the bottom of this post to the earlier ones.

The Metaphysics of my Universe the Voidweb: part 5 ( physics in spaaaaaaace)

​

Souls, The Basis of Life

Within the vast and varied expanse of the void web, all living things from the single celled organism of Ori VI to the great solar wyrms of the endless city have one thing in common, a soul. A manifestation of a living creatures willpower, intent, and conscious mind, a soul is the spiritual component of every living thing. Comprised primarily of quin and fueled by pneuma, a type of purified mana produced by all living things, souls are made up of four distinct parts, the core, the meridians, the gates, and the aura.

· Cores: The core is often called the powerhouse of the soul and is its most important part. Cores are comprised of two primary components, the membrane or shell and the soulfire. Located within the core, soulfire is the true battery of the soul, actively purifying, condensing, and converting æther. This process creates pnuema, a purified form of quin and mana that living things can use to fuel their spiritual abilities and exceed their physical capabilities. Barring outside influences the strength of an individual’s soulfire can show how healthy they are and even if they are nearing the end of their life. Most living things can even sustain their life on the pneuma produced for varying periods of time though this can weaken a being’s soulfire if this goes on for too long, trading over all life span, for immediate short-term survival. There are many ways to strengthen a person's soulfire but the most common involves suiando cultivation practices. The shell or membrane of a core is a semi-permeable layered structure of quin and mana that shrouds and protects the soulfire, as well as aiding in the refinement of æther into pnuema, with a stronger shell allowing more powerful reactions to safely take place within the core. Generally speaking, an individual will need to develop a foundational shell out of the core membrane they are born with in order to begin cultivating their soulfire. Each additional shell layer beyond first will help push the core through the various stages of development, 2 layers for a red core, 3 for an orange, 4 for a yellow, 5 for a white, and 6 for a blue core, and 7 for an ascendant core. Each layer acts to strengthen and protect the soulfire allowing it to grow in strength and further refine æther into far more potent and pure pneuma.

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https://preview.redd.it/5awvzjps2ssc1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=685f264ca1238d2348fb07a7b29680d53c428db8

· Meridian: The Meridians, the ley lines of the soul, are vain like structures that circulate quin and mana throughout the soul and safely guiding its flow through the body, its numerous branching pathways allowing pneuma to flow into organs muscles, bones, and other tissues, reinforcing and enhancing them. Meridians have two primary properties, Resilience and Elasticity. Resilience refers to the ability of meridians to resist scaring or even rupture due to the flows of pnuema through them and elasticity refers to the meridians ability withstand sudden surges and spikes in the flow of pneuma without damage. Meridians like muscles strengthen with use and can be exercised using certain suiando techniques.

· Gates: Gates are locations along the meridians where æther can be drawn into the soul and pneuma can be released from the soul. Gates have two governing properties, Resilience and Elasticity. Resilience refers to the ability of a gate to resist rupture due to the in and out flows of pnuema and æther. Elasticity refers to the gates ability to withstand sudden surges of pneuma and æther without damaging the gate itself. Ruptured gates can lead to uncontrolled Leaking of pneuma, weakening the soul, Uncontrolled influx of aether, overwhelming the core's processing capabilities, and difficulty in regulating the flow of energy for spellcasting. Strengthening a gate is similar to strengthening a muscle and can benefit from suiando cultivation. In most humanoid beings there are 15 primary gates spread out over the body and are located in the hands, on the feet, two between the shoulder blades, behind the eyes, the lungs, the stomach, The crotch, the base of the skull, The crown of the head, and the back of the throat.

· Auras: Auras are the Portion of your soul that exists outside of your body where the pneuma your soul produces mixes into Æther around you. Nearly all living things can sense the aura of other living beings. The most common way is the sense that someone is close to you even if you are unaware of them or the feeling of being watched, however most people tend to mentally block out this sense unless they are actively using it. All auras have four properties, their size, color, stability, and density. Like most properties of an aura, the size of an aura has a lot of variables that affect it, but generally speaking, the size of an aura at rest is a good indicator of just how much pneuma an individual produces as well as their average spiritual eminence. The average aura of an untrained mortal extends about .5 meters to 1 meter away from their body. Auras come in a wide variety of colors, and while all auras are clear when they are at rest, auras, when compressed, will change colors slowly shifting from red to orange, yellow, white, and finally blue. Any aura larger than a meter or so in radius when compressed to about a meter will start to change colors beginning at red. Generally speaking, the color of an individual’s aura can be used to Gadge just how powerful they are with clear being the weakest and blue being the strongest. There are other colors, but they tend to be due to unique factors that are out of the ordinary. An aura's stability is generally determined by the emotional state of the individual producing the aura. A perfectly stable aura will be a perfect sphere that grows more unstable as the persons emotional state grows more unstable. There are many factors that determine an auras density, but generally speaking the strength of the core and how spread out it is governs its density. The higher the density of the aura the more control an individual has over the æther and pnuema within its area of effect. Aura control is a practical skill that allows individuals to manipulate these properties to achieve various effects, so long as they have the willpower and mental acuity.

​

The feet have gates in a similar pattern to the hands.

· The Four basic Aspects of Aura Control.

o Aura Expansion: The ability to increase the size of your aura lowering its density by increasing its volume. Lower density auras can be used to hide, allowing your aura to blend into the background. This does extend the reach of your aura perception but makes it less sensitive and more difficult to control. It also allows you to resist aura suppression, extend the range of spell shapes and allow a wider range for aura focus.

o Aura Compression: The Ability to decrease the size of your aura increasing its density by reducing its volume. This increase in density can be used to protect against foreign æther and pnuema, increase the sensitivity of aura perception while decreasing its range, suppress the auras of others and at high enough density defend against physical threats. However, if your aura isn't dense enough this could lead to complete aura suppression by another more powerful individuals leaveing you immobile, as well as alerting any aura in contact with your own of your presence.

o Aura Focus: The ability to expand or compress specific points within an aura, allowing a person to wrap a part of their body in a protective aura, directly manipulate objects in their environment, form aura weapons or focus their aura down on specific targets to examine or suppress them.

o Aura Suggestion: The ability impart emotions and intent into your aura that can be sensed by the auras of others and reacted to. One of the most difficult aspects of aura control to master and one that allows a great amount of flexibility and allows you to guide and shape the emotions and in rare cases the actions of others either forcefully or subtlety. This can be used to intimidate, soothe, misdirect, project hostility, cause panic, or hide. a common use is simple guiding peoples attention away from you to avoid notice.

Æther Poisoning

The overuse of æther can lead to various forms of æther poisoning each with unique effects depending on how the æther was used. Each shaper has their own level of resistance to the effects of æther poisoning that vary for multiple reasons ranging from their lineage to the resilience of their meridians, cores, and gates. The most common forms of æther poisoning are, æther burns, spell haze, and æther degradation. Æther has also been known to cause dangerous mutations that range from cancer, to the growth of new limbs, elemental aspect infusion, and even magicite crystallization, among other things, however, this is rare and usual occurs due to over exposure to æther during æther storms or in places of corrupted æther.

· Æther Burns - Resulting from the constant over taxing, damage, and eventual rupture of meridians and gates when using external shaping. It results a limiting of the flow of pneuma and æther through the body and glowing scars forming on an individual that throb with constant pain and flares up to a crippling degree as an shaper casts. In extreme cases Æther burns can completely destroy an individual’s physical body leavening behind an Æther Shadow. (Considered one of the most dangerous creatures in the Voidweb.) This generally occurs in those who regularly exceed their safe pneuma and æther capacity.

· Spell Haze - The result of overusing or over exposure to shapes that effects the mind in some way and often leads to increased susceptibility to mental attacks, memory loss, manic depressive behavior, increased aggression, dementia, schizophrenia, and even psychosis. This is most common in those who have been mentally dominated for extended periods of time.

· Æther Degradation - Excessive use of internal shaping can result in the body gradually requiring increasing amounts of pneuma in order to properly function, eventually relying solely on pneuma to function. If the requirements of the body ever exceed the individual’s ability to channel and purify æther into pneuma this could quickly result in death. Most common in those who use shapes to overclock their bodies on a so often that is begins to damage them beyond repair.

Part 1 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1buksdp/magic_across_the_voidweb_1_of_6_the_basics/

Part 2 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bux2tz/magic_across_the_voidweb_2_of_6_the_framework_and/

Part 3 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bvcxut/magic_across_the_voidweb_3_of_6_the_the_laws_of/

Part 4 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bwslp4/magic_across_the_voidweb_4_of_6_cultivation_and/

This is part 4 of 6 so I'll put a link on the bottom of this post to the earlier ones.

The Metaphysics of my Universe the Voidweb: part 4 (A new Hope?)

Suiando Cultivation and The Development of Power

While most mortal creatures are born, live, and die with the same level of magical power. However, those who sought to grow in magical strength, increase their Pneuma supply and refine their body and soul developed multiple ways to grow in magical power. The culmination of these techniques is most commonly referred to as Suiando or cultivation. There are three main forms of suiando, physical refinement, meditation, and alchemy, each one focusing on a different aspect of shape craft.

· Chakdo or Physical Refinement refers to the act of performing certain kinds of physical conditioning that affects the way pneuma flows through the body and its meridians, strengthening them in part or as a whole. This often makes the body more resilient to Pneuma allowing more to safely flow out of or into you at any time and amplifies the effect Pneuma has on the body to perform greater feats with less effort. Many chakdo styles form the basis for various martial arts throughout the voidweb.

Mutkodo: Meditation in this context covers two primary acts.

· Mutkodoti or shape meditation is focused on repeatedly forming a single shape over and over again until forming the shape is second nature to the shaper and no longer requires conscious thought to form the shape. It is said that it requires 10,000 repetitions of this to truly master a shape.

· Mutkodogu or channeling involves drawing Æther into your soul and converting ever increasing amounts of it into pneuma. This prepares your core to form a shell and greatly Increases the speed of your pneuma recovery but also has the beneficial effect of slowly increasing the amount of pneuma your body can safely hold but increases your body’s tolerance foreign mana entering it. However this process puts strain on the soul and if done improperly or if the soul isn’t given proper time to recover it can result in mana burn, significantly shortening the individual's lifespan by weakening your soulfire.

Qorido: Alchemy in suiando cultivation is broken into two primary disciplines’, internal and external.

· Malqorido or External alchemy refers to the various kinds of pills, elixirs, baths, and procedures that can be used to alter your body in a variety of unique ways as well as preparing and aiding in growth.

· Bulqorido or Internal alchemy refers to the practice of purifying and refining your own pneuma over time, increasing its potency and density, increasing the impact and effect of the shapes you use. This also allows a cultivator to adapt their body and soul to new elemental quin and mana aspects.

Unique Materials Within the Voidweb

Mythril: Lighter than steel with just about the same strength, Mythril or dawnsilver is a unique pale-silver elemental metal that emits a polarized æther field when struck by quin or mana of any kind. This allows it to repel spiritual forces. Mythril ore is ferromagnetic and is often found in, around, or alongside iron ore, magnetite, hematite, and taconite deposits.

Pearl Iron: When mythril is combined with iron and carbon in the right ratio, it forms the metal pearl iron. This alloy has a pearlescent color and is heavier than standard mythril. Its most notable property is the ability to absorb and channel mana allowing it to gain many of the properties the spiritual aspect being channeled through it. It requires 41,000 thaum of mana to destabilize 1 kilogram of pearl iron without changing its temperature.

Sun Steel: An alloy of Steel, Gold, and Mythril with an outsized effect on certain kinds of ethereal and astral beings. Generally behaves like steel in most cases, however, it excels at channeling Fire, Earth, Life, Radiant and emergence elemental aspects and will resist other aspects.

Moon Silver: An alloy of Steel, Silver, and Mythril with an outsized effect on certain kinds of ethereal and astral beings. Generally comparable to steel in most cases, however, it excels at channeling Water, Air, Death, Shadow and void elemental aspects and will resist other aspects.

Adamant: Adamant or Adamantite is an alloy created by combining tungsten, silica, and mythril. The metal has a silver-grey to black coloration and is known for its exceptional heaviness, virtually indestructible nature, and it's ability to completely reflect magic. Adamant is considered the rarest metal in the mythril family. With a hardness somewhere between corundum and diamond and a tensile strength equaling tungsten even thin layers of adamant can be added to things to protect and reinforce things from tools to armor and even structures.

Heart Stone: Heart stone is a chalky blood red elemental mineral that has the ability to pull in and absorb mana. When consumed in its pure form, it can prevent shapers individuals from channeling mana. This is often forced on prisoners. Whiles these effects usually pass within a day repeated ingestion can slowly increase the duration of the effects. Despite this a powerful enough shaper may be able to overcome these effects. Long term exposure results in an individual’s teeth, bone, shells, carapace, hair, and fingernails turning red and the individual losing the ability to shape outside of their bodies. They do however gain a resistance to spiritual effects. Heart Stone is often found in, around, or alongside limestone, dolomite, and marble deposits. It can also be found in the shells of sea life and in the bones and teeth of those exposed to high amounts of the substance.

Orichalcum: Orichalcum is a crimson-gold colored alloy formed by combining heart stone and mythril. One of its most unique properties is that when mana of particular aspects are passed through it, the alloy becomes exponentially heavier or lighter by raising or lowering its relative mass.. Heavier: Earth, Water, Shadow, Life and Void. Lighter: Fire, Air, Radiance, Death and Emergence. Depending on the amount of mana passed trough the material orichalcum can have negative mass. I most cases it comparable to aluminum though it’s a bit more durable. Often used in ships that traverse the voidweb, its ability to reach negative mass allowing them to reach ftl speeds.

Laretanium: Laretanium is a rust-colored alloy created by combining lead and heart stone. This metal alloy repels mana, effectively preventing the use of shapes, invocations, and Incarnations in its vicinity. Individuals bound in laretanium will lose their ability to shape, and mana-based abilities are also repelled by it. In the proper configurations it can be used to contain and isolate spiritual forces.

Crelomite: Crelomite, also known as mage salts, is a red chemical compound formed by combining chlorine, sodium, and heart stone. When ingested, crelomite enhances a person's ability to draw in and channel mana. However, if the dosage is incorrect, the increased flow of mana can lead to permanent nerve damage from æther poisoning. In high doses, crelomite is said to cause various types of hallucinations, creates feelings of arousal, elation, wellbeing, euphoria, and relief from physical pain. The substance is considered highly addictive and is often heavily regulated which lead to it becoming a common black market item throughout the voidweb. When used it can also lead to a buildup of heart stone in the body ordinarily resulting in the ever-increasing need for more crelomite for lesser effects.

Dusk Jade: A purple-black gemstone flecked with vibrant greens that gives off a fiery purple haze struck by sunlight. Dusk Jade Drawn ambient mana into itself storing this mana in high concentration that can be drawn from to fuel spell shapes and devices. When paired with the proper magicite crystals Dusk Jade can be made to draw in only specific mana aspects concentrating these aspects and acting as a kind of mana battery. Dusk jade is often found in, around, or alongside deposits of nephrite. It is also one of the only physical objects that can directly affect spiritual being and is particularly good at harming them.

Emberstone: A gemstone that glows with a warm, ember-like light. Emberstone can absorb and store heat energy, making it useful for heating devices or creating warm, glowing decorations. Emberstone is often found in, around, or alongside deposits of quartz.

Tegu Wood: Tegu or Sweetfire wood is a tropical ironwood tree Known for it's beautiful red and white patterns and its exceptional ability to conduct quin and mana. While it's most often used for construction and furniture manufacturing due to the woods fire resistant properties. It is also a wood of choice for bows, due to it being both exceptionally hard wood and very flexible.

Night Weaver Silk: The Silk of the Pekiri or night weaver spider is, Pound for pound, one of the strongest materials ion the world of Aldiria and possibly the voidweb. Harvested exclusively from the Pekiri spider by the Kulatyari people of the Glassbone Sea, night weaver silk has a tensile strength rivaling tungsten and an elasticity exceeding that of rubber. Its electrically conductive and thermally resistant.

Magicite: Dense crystals of condensed mana, naturally occurring magicite is one of the most valuable substances on all of Aldriria that only forms during Aether storms. Depending on mana the aspect that forms the crystal they can be used for construction, manufacturing, weapons, medicine, Armor, entertainment, memory storage and even a power source. While it is prohibitively expensive in most cases artificially created magicite is cheaper. However, artificial magicite is often much less stable and will break down over time. While this property has its uses, stable magicite is seen as more valuable, and only the most skilled individuals can create truly stable magicite. It has a vast host of use though it is most commonly in æther cores and æther drives within the voidweb.

Voidglass: A dark, translucent igneous rock that is a kind of volcanic glass which absorbs light and sound. It is often used for creating items that require stealth or for containing dangerous magical energies.

Amnesite: A smokey navy blue crystal tinged with the shadow elemental aspect, Amnesite is a mineral known to record the memories and thoughts of those who touch it. Amnesite has many uses but the most common use throughout the voidweb is communication, entertainment, and information storage. When used properly it is even able to allow a person to copy their consciousness or impart their knowledge to others.

Part 1 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1buksdp/magic_across_the_voidweb_1_of_6_the_basics/
Part 2 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bux2tz/magic_across_the_voidweb_2_of_6_the_framework_and/
Part 3 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1bvcxut/magic_across_the_voidweb_3_of_6_the_the_laws_of/

The fossil fuels from eldritch gods have allowed the machines they power to become sentient more than that if a human were to consume the oil or fumes of the coal in anyway they would have control over these machines consume enough and they could even turn into oil or coal and possesss the machine itself they can also use special lanterns lit by the oil to see the unseen creatures that exist beyond the realms of human beings

I am sure most of you are familiar with the classic plague mage: summon rats, spread pestilence, wielding poison, summoning toxic clouds, insects, corrosion, etc. In media there are mage archetypes (Witch Doctor from Diablo) as well as fighter archetypes (Plague Marines from WH40K).

But I have never seen this with an aquatic theme. Plagues and insects coming from the deep sea. I imagine someone like that could perhaps summon bobbit worms from the ground, conjure magical jellyfish that spread some sort of poisonous "algaecloud", use parasites that would normally attack fish now attack humans.

Do you guys have any more ideas for this kind of plague magic? Specific spells or general directions, all are welcome!

Edit: The magic doesn't necessarily need to affect bodies of water or fish, I just wanna swap the thematics around. So imagine a regular plague mage but with an aquatic flair to them. It doesn't need to make sense, treat the air as water and people as fish in this instance.

Can someone please help me think of some Weird but op superpowers? Some limitations or restrictions would really help too.

I'm working on a Pokémon/Digimon esq setting, the painted lands, where there are creatures known as color sprites. These entities are, in essence, fractures of light that embody the colors of these lands. When they fight, they create new segments in the painted lands.

The idea is these creatures are captured in painted mirrors that bind them to a person. Then, the capturer, or painter, forms a bond with them over time.

The vibrance of the color sprite reflects its power, but also its docility. The more colorful, the more powerful, but the more feral it is, meaning it's harder to control.

What I'm really having trouble with are the powers. There are the three primary colors. Red, blue, and gold.

Red is Contrast (manifesting shields or objects of color, summoning, binding)

Blue is Clairity (sensory magic, scrying, becoming unnoticeable)

Gold is Pattern (mending, illusions, shape-changing)

I can't tell if I should add the other three colors on the color spectrum. And what those powers would even be.

I saw someone ask something similar the other day in regards to telekinesis.

Is there a way to reference super strength and super speed in a fantasy setting that sounds more fantasy-esque than sci-fi?

Any and all suggestions would be helpful/welcomed.

Context

This magic originates in the essence of Aenia one of the seven Goddesses of Light, and as such it is one of the Seven Light Arts.

This world exists following Taoism philosophy, where neither Light nor Darkness are good or evil, is the constant fluctuation of these two that keep the world alive, and too much Yin or Yang causes stagnation and bad things starts to happen.

Aenia is the most negative aspect of Light. She doesn't care for the world, to her, life is just constant suffering and no one can do anything to escape from it. So the only possible thing to do is grant mortals numbing pleasure and slowly reduce their suffering until they fade into nothingness.

Oblivion

Those who access to this magic suffer an alteration in their soul, transforming it in a void that consumes any type of magic, including souls of other people.

The mages burn their own emotions to feed their magic. Or they can use their Connection to other people to avoid burning their own souls.

However, at the end they will be alone and they will consume themselves.

Hollowing is what awaits to everyone who uses this magic.

The process is slow and goes through several phases.

Spiritual

First phase starts with consuming the soul. -It starts with Connection, erasing the person from people's minds. -It follows with Identity, erasing their own memories until the person doesn't know who they are. -Then, the emotions burn until they can't feel anything . -This phase ends by consuming Intent. If the person doesn't find a way to reverse the process, can be considered forsaken.

Mental

The second phase consumes the cognitive functions of the person. It consumes the ability to create new memories, it consumes abstract thinking, intelligence and even the dreaming ability.

Physical

The last phase consumes the body, leaving only an empty layer of crystal in the shape of a human body, as the only evidence that person existed, although nobody remembers them.

I want this society to have an economy based in buying and selling emotions. Using as coin a kind of crystal that can store them.

What I want help with?

Powers. This is the downside and consequences of using this magic, but what powers could be thematically good for this?

One thing I'm gonna use is that, as these people can absorb any type of magic, if they feed on other type of magic, they can use that other magic.

But in individual, what powers could I use?

In my magic system, everyone has an energy called Somnia running through them, it is basically like what mana would be in other magic systems. It runs on one’s drives, fears, hopes, dreams, and everything of the like, and this connects them to their element. They do not necessarily control the element itself, but rather connect with the concentrated energy within, such energies may change as well depending on its state of matter, hence why others can only control water or ice.

In the case of my world, those who can control such are called Somni and have aligned their Somnia with a certain Oneiron (the element and what it represents), they are given artifacts called Curios in their sleep, which connect them with the energies of their Oneiron, and grants them the ability to control such. To add (this ties in with the worldbuilding and as to why the magic system is more-so-called Somnia), Somni connect with an Animus, which are the extinct beings made of the pure energy of Oneirons driven away by humanity in the distant past, and as a last effort to preserve themselves they latched onto humans to one day return through the Curios (which they connected to by slumber), and the Monarch Animus (the first beings who manifested into the world), preserved themselves in dreamcatchers all throughout the world;  the Animus did these in order to one day return, as they have cast a curse called Insomnia, which corrupts man and would eventually turn them into what would be the forms of the Animus, and once all have been turned, the Animus would return to the physical realm.

They cast such through forming magic circles (but in the forms of dreamcatchers), and by connecting with a chakra they align most with as well, which determines the type of magic they do. They can use the elements to any way they please, so long as it connects to their chakra, and it gives way for the elements which would be weak on paper to be much more powerful than imaginable. 

These are the elements:1.  Inferna (Fire):

   - Virtue/Concept: Passion, Love, & Elation

2. Tonitraa (Lightning):

• Virtue/Concept: Precision, Perfection

1. Aqua (Water):

   - Virtue/Concept: Adaptability, Empathy, & Togetherness 

4. Glaciea (Ice):

   - Virtue/Concept: Resilience & Remembrance

5. Venteia (Wind):

   - Virtue/Concept: Freedom

6. Mistrata (Mist):

   - Virtue/Concept: Tranquillity

7. Laethia (Rocks):

   - Virtue/Concept: Stability & Permanence

8. Auranda (Sand):

   - Virtue/Concept: Perseverance & Preservation

9. Ferrumia (Metal):

   - Virtue/Concept: Justice & Equilibrium

10. Vulcana (Volcano):

• Virtue/Concept: Power, War, & Voracity

1. Flordantia (Plants):

• Virtue/Concept: Prosperity, Knowledge & Abundance

1. Faunimara (Flesh/Blood/Bones/Organic Matter):

• Virtue/Concept: Coexistence & Harmony

1. Antiflora (Fungi):

• Virtue/Concept: Control

1. Decessa (Disease/Poison/Venom/Acid):

• Virtue/Concept: Finality

1. Lunara (Dark):

• Virtue/Concept: Reflection/Erudition

16.  Abyssaea (Void):

• Virtue/Concept: Acceptance/Nihility

1. Kosmoa (Space):

• Virtue/Concept: Wonder/Exploration

1. Solara (Light):

• Virtue/Concept: Wisdom/Enlightenment

aaaand the Chakras/Types of Magic:

Root Chakra (Muladhara): Conjuration: The root chakra grounds us to the physical world, just as conjuration magic calls forth entities and objects from other planes into the material realm.

Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana): Enchantment: This chakra governs creativity, emotions, and desires, much like how enchantment magic influences and manipulates emotions, thoughts, and behavior.

Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura): Evocation: The solar plexus chakra represents personal power and will. Evocation magic involves harnessing raw magical energy to create powerful effects, reflecting this sense of personal empowerment.

Heart Chakra (Anahata): Abjuration: The heart chakra is associated with love, compassion, and healing. Abjuration magic focuses on protection, shielding, and dispelling, reflecting the protective and nurturing qualities of the heart.

Throat Chakra (Vishuddha): Transmutation: The throat chakra governs communication and expression. Transmutation magic involves altering the form or nature of things, which can be seen as a form of creative expression.

Third Eye Chakra (Ajna): Divination: The third eye chakra is associated with intuition, perception, and insight. Divination magic involves gaining knowledge of the future or hidden truths through supernatural means, aligning with the insights associated with the third eye.

Crown Chakra (Sahasrara): Aneicromancy - The crown chakra represents spirituality, enlightenment, and connection to the divine. Aneicromancy, symbolizing a balance between life (ani) and death (necro), could explore the interconnectedness of all things, including the realms of existence beyond the physical plane. It may signify a pursuit of harmony and understanding between the forces of life and death, guiding practitioners toward enlightenment and spiritual fulfillment.

Earth Star Chakra: Illusion: The earth star chakra connects us to the physical world and grounding energies. Illusion magic involves the manipulation of perception and reality, which can be seen as a reflection of our connection to and interaction with the physical world.

Soul Star Chakra: Chronomancy: The soul star chakra is believed to be the gateway to higher consciousness and spiritual evolution. Chronomancy, focusing on time manipulation and understanding the fabric of reality, aligns with the idea of exploring higher states of consciousness and existence.

thoughts?

Hello, hello, and welcome to my post. As the title says, what are some ways to separate Death powers and Necromancy from each other? Now, I know that Necromancy is often defined as the practice of using “Death Magic”, but I mean something a little different. Like, when you have a setting with Death-based entities & deities like Grim Reapers, Psychopomps & Death Gods, as well as Necromancers and a Lich or two, how do you distinguish their respective magical abilities so that they’re not confused with each other, at least by your audience?

Thank you for reading my post. Apologies if my post is confusing, hopefully it makes some sense. Please share your thoughts, and have a good day.

I'm not talking about controlling the elements but more or less magic coming from something within nature/the earth itself or maybe even some cosmic event like some second moon that radiates the world with magic every x amount of days.

Shadow magic is based around the idea of shadow puppets but more complex. Basically, you can create something through mere suggestions to the shadows. The idea would be that you could make a swarm of poisonous insects or knives of darkness or other shapes and materials by suggesting to the shadows to take that "shape".

This can be accomplished through a shadow puppetry machine the elves developed that uses mirrors, focusing lenses, and paper puppets to fuse the correct shadows into a glass vessel.

After the shadow is fully formed in a glass vessel, the vessel can be shattered to unleash the shadow into the world.

You can only create a shadow that makes sense. i.e. something that already exists. You can make bees, but not cthulhu.

The discovery and advancement of this technology will lead to a sort of magical gunslinger era. Where there are small glass orbs used as bullets that hold shadows. And guns can launch them considerable distances.

This is all a bit loose at the moment, but let me know your thoughts.

I've been toying with this idea for a while, figured this was a good outlet for it. This idea doesn't really explore the mechanics of how magic works, but instead focuses on its fuel. It's sort of a softer system, though it also has some limits. Basically, magic is potential, used all at once.

To understand what that means, think about a child in school. You might say that the child has a lot of potential. They can theoretically become anything they want, within reason, their potential is boundless. Now contrast that with an old person. They have used their potential, and accomplished things in their life. The world is now changed, even in a small way, because of their actions. In a way, the child had 'more' potential than the old person. What if this potential wasn't just a metaphor, but quantifiable? And what if it could be traded to something, or someone, in exchange for power?

In this system, every person is born with a huge amount of potential, which is essentially "ability to change the world by some amount". An ordinary person gradually loses potential, both to laziness and to action, in varying amounts, and can gain more through learning new things and through opportunities in life. However, spending potential the normal way takes time, energy, and resources. What if you could just fast forward to the world changing stuff? This is what a mage does. They trade some of their own potential, and in exchange can produce an extraordinary effect.

This isn't the same as a system where magic makes your life shorter. In a way it's worse. If you use a lot of magic, eventually you'll run out, and from there you'll struggle to make yourself seen and heard. Anything you say or do will have little impact. You'll fade into irrelevance, a shadow of your former self.

The consequences of this system are interesting to me, because they actually produce a lot of tropes associated with magic. Mages would be bookworms, always studying something. The exact subject doesn't matter. Anything you study might have an application someday, so it gives you potential. Thus mages would hoard books, and would always be reading new ones. Mages would also be very conservative with their power, often preferring to solve problems with little to no use of magic, saving it for when it really counts. After all, making a fireball from thin air is pretty extraordinary, and would take way more potential than making one the old fashioned way. But sometimes, things like gunpowder aren't available, and you need that fireball right now. Another consequence is that many mages would live in seclusion. After all, it's a lot harder to accidentally waste potential if you don't have the chance to make friends, fall in love, or create other bonds that you may need to spend potential for. A rather morbid implication is that a mage may view life as a simple currency, performing sacrifices to preserve as much of their potential as possible. After all, a child has a lot of potential. Why not put it to use? It's not like they were going to use it for anything meaningful, right? Really they should thank you for sacrificing them. In a related vein, many mages would likely be obsessed with living forever. What good is all that stored up potential if you don't have time to use it?

I like this idea a lot, because it explains a lot of things that magic users do, while placing limits on the power a mage can weild, all with a relatively simple premise.

So I read a awesome fanfiction and it had a mention of a sword but absolutely no description or explanation of it. But the name and idea was awesome.

“Schrödinger…The Blade that shouldn’t exist”

When you read that sentence, what picture of this weapon does your mind conjure?

This is part 4 of 6 so I'll put a link on the bottom of this post to the earlier ones.

The Metaphysics of my Universe the Voidweb: part 4 (A new Hope?)

Suiando Cultivation and The Development of Power

While most mortal creatures are born, live, and die with the same level of magical power. However, those who sought to grow in magical strength, increase their Pneuma supply and refine their body and soul developed multiple ways to grow in magical power. The culmination of these techniques is most commonly referred to as Suiando or cultivation. There are three main forms of suiando, physical refinement, meditation, and alchemy, each one focusing on a different aspect of shape craft.

· Chakdo or Physical Refinement refers to the act of performing certain kinds of physical conditioning that affects the way pneuma flows through the body and its meridians, strengthening them in part or as a whole. This often makes the body more resilient to Pneuma allowing more to safely flow out of or into you at any time and amplifies the effect Pneuma has on the body to perform greater feats with less effort. Many chakdo styles form the basis for various martial arts throughout the voidweb.

Mutkodo: Meditation in this context covers two primary acts.

· Mutkodoti or shape meditation is focused on repeatedly forming a single shape over and over again until forming the shape is second nature to the shaper and no longer requires conscious thought to form the shape. It is said that it requires 10,000 repetitions of this to truly master a shape.

· Mutkodogu or channeling involves drawing Æther into your soul and converting ever increasing amounts of it into pneuma. This prepares your core to form a shell and greatly Increases the speed of your pneuma recovery but also has the beneficial effect of slowly increasing the amount of pneuma your body can safely hold but increases your body’s tolerance foreign mana entering it. However this process puts strain on the soul and if done improperly or if the soul isn’t given proper time to recover it can result in mana burn, significantly shortening the individual's lifespan by weakening your soulfire.

Qorido: Alchemy in suiando cultivation is broken into two primary disciplines’, internal and external.

· Malqorido or External alchemy refers to the various kinds of pills, elixirs, baths, and procedures that can be used to alter your body in a variety of unique ways as well as preparing and aiding in growth.

· Bulqorido or Internal alchemy refers to the practice of purifying and refining your own pneuma over time, increasing its potency and density, increasing the impact and effect of the shapes you use. This also allows a cultivator to adapt their body and soul to new elemental quin and mana aspects.

Unique Materials Within the Voidweb

Mythril: Lighter than steel with just about the same strength, Mythril or dawnsilver is a unique pale-silver elemental metal that emits a polarized æther field when struck by quin or mana of any kind. This allows it to repel spiritual forces. Mythril ore is ferromagnetic and is often found in, around, or alongside iron ore, magnetite, hematite, and taconite deposits.

Pearl Iron: When mythril is combined with iron and carbon in the right ratio, it forms the metal pearl iron. This alloy has a pearlescent color and is heavier than standard mythril. Its most notable property is the ability to absorb and channel mana allowing it to gain many of the properties the spiritual aspect being channeled through it. It requires 41,000 thaum of mana to destabilize 1 kilogram of pearl iron without changing its temperature.

Sun Steel: An alloy of Steel, Gold, and Mythril with an outsized effect on certain kinds of ethereal and astral beings. Generally behaves like steel in most cases, however, it excels at channeling Fire, Earth, Life, Radiant and emergence elemental aspects and will resist other aspects.

Moon Silver: An alloy of Steel, Silver, and Mythril with an outsized effect on certain kinds of ethereal and astral beings. Generally comparable to steel in most cases, however, it excels at channeling Water, Air, Death, Shadow and void elemental aspects and will resist other aspects.

Adamant: Adamant or Adamantite is an alloy created by combining tungsten, silica, and mythril. The metal has a silver-grey to black coloration and is known for its exceptional heaviness, virtually indestructible nature, and it's ability to completely reflect magic. Adamant is considered the rarest metal in the mythril family. With a hardness somewhere between corundum and diamond and a tensile strength equaling tungsten even thin layers of adamant can be added to things to protect and reinforce things from tools to armor and even structures.

Heart Stone: Heart stone is a chalky blood red elemental mineral that has the ability to pull in and absorb mana. When consumed in its pure form, it can prevent shapers individuals from channeling mana. This is often forced on prisoners. Whiles these effects usually pass within a day repeated ingestion can slowly increase the duration of the effects. Despite this a powerful enough shaper may be able to overcome these effects. Long term exposure results in an individual’s teeth, bone, shells, carapace, hair, and fingernails turning red and the individual losing the ability to shape outside of their bodies. They do however gain a resistance to spiritual effects. Heart Stone is often found in, around, or alongside limestone, dolomite, and marble deposits. It can also be found in the shells of sea life and in the bones and teeth of those exposed to high amounts of the substance.

Orichalcum: Orichalcum is a crimson-gold colored alloy formed by combining heart stone and mythril. One of its most unique properties is that when mana of particular aspects are passed through it, the alloy becomes exponentially heavier or lighter by raising or lowering its relative mass.. Heavier: Earth, Water, Shadow, Life and Void. Lighter: Fire, Air, Radiance, Death and Emergence. Depending on the amount of mana passed trough the material orichalcum can have negative mass. I most cases it comparable to aluminum though it’s a bit more durable. Often used in ships that traverse the voidweb, its ability to reach negative mass allowing them to reach ftl speeds.

Laretanium: Laretanium is a rust-colored alloy created by combining lead and heart stone. This metal alloy repels mana, effectively preventing the use of shapes, invocations, and Incarnations in its vicinity. Individuals bound in laretanium will lose their ability to shape, and mana-based abilities are also repelled by it. In the proper configurations it can be used to contain and isolate spiritual forces.

Crelomite: Crelomite, also known as mage salts, is a red chemical compound formed by combining chlorine, sodium, and heart stone. When ingested, crelomite enhances a person's ability to draw in and channel mana. However, if the dosage is incorrect, the increased flow of mana can lead to permanent nerve damage from æther poisoning. In high doses, crelomite is said to cause various types of hallucinations, creates feelings of arousal, elation, wellbeing, euphoria, and relief from physical pain. The substance is considered highly addictive and is often heavily regulated which lead to it becoming a common black market item throughout the voidweb. When used it can also lead to a buildup of heart stone in the body ordinarily resulting in the ever-increasing need for more crelomite for lesser effects.

Dusk Jade: A purple-black gemstone flecked with vibrant greens that gives off a fiery purple haze struck by sunlight. Dusk Jade Drawn ambient mana into itself storing this mana in high concentration that can be drawn from to fuel spell shapes and devices. When paired with the proper magicite crystals Dusk Jade can be made to draw in only specific mana aspects concentrating these aspects and acting as a kind of mana battery. Dusk jade is often found in, around, or alongside deposits of nephrite. It is also one of the only physical objects that can directly affect spiritual being and is particularly good at harming them.

Emberstone: A gemstone that glows with a warm, ember-like light. Emberstone can absorb and store heat energy, making it useful for heating devices or creating warm, glowing decorations. Emberstone is often found in, around, or alongside deposits of quartz.

Tegu Wood: Tegu or Sweetfire wood is a tropical ironwood tree Known for it's beautiful red and white patterns and its exceptional ability to conduct quin and mana. While it's most often used for construction and furniture manufacturing due to the woods fire resistant properties. It is also a wood of choice for bows, due to it being both exceptionally hard wood and very flexible.

Night Weaver Silk: The Silk of the Pekiri or night weaver spider is, Pound for pound, one of the strongest materials ion the world of Aldiria and possibly the voidweb. Harvested exclusively from the Pekiri spider by the Kulatyari people of the Glassbone Sea, night weaver silk has a tensile strength rivaling tungsten and an elasticity exceeding that of rubber. Its electrically conductive and thermally resistant.

Magicite: Dense crystals of condensed mana, naturally occurring magicite is one of the most valuable substances on all of Aldriria that only forms during Aether storms. Depending on mana the aspect that forms the crystal they can be used for construction, manufacturing, weapons, medicine, Armor, entertainment, memory storage and even a power source. While it is prohibitively expensive in most cases artificially created magicite is cheaper. However, artificial magicite is often much less stable and will break down over time. While this property has its uses, stable magicite is seen as more valuable, and only the most skilled individuals can create truly stable magicite. It has a vast host of use though it is most commonly in æther cores and æther drives within the voidweb.

Voidglass: A dark, translucent igneous rock that is a kind of volcanic glass which absorbs light and sound. It is often used for creating items that require stealth or for containing dangerous magical energies.

Amnesite: A smokey navy blue crystal tinged with the shadow elemental aspect, Amnesite is a mineral known to record the memories and thoughts of those who touch it. Amnesite has many uses but the most common use throughout the voidweb is communication, entertainment, and information storage. When used properly it is even able to allow a person to copy their consciousness or impart their knowledge to others.

​

Part 1 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1buksdp/magic_across_the_voidweb_1_of_6_the_basics/
Part 2 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1bv2fls/magic_across_the_voidweb_2_of_6_the_framework_and/

Part 3 of 6: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1bvcrgr/magic_across_the_voidweb_3_of_6_the_the_laws_of/

My previous post on these systems: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1bvd8s4/monster_system/

I really enjoyed working on the previous post, and so I thought about expanding it a bit more. I'm likely going to leave the magic/power system of this world here, to prevent overdoing it by trying to add more and more features. Same as before, any feedback and/or suggestions are highly appreciated!

Mages

The blood of Cryptids is a very valuable resource, allowing people to perform Haemography through its magical properties. However, Haemography is only possible through Cryptid blood. Human blood does not work, and if there is no Cryptid blood, then humans cannot perform magic.

This is where mages come in. mages can perform magic without the use of sigils, as their very blood is that of Cryptids. They gain magical abilities without the transformation, making them a great ally.

In order to become a mage, one must have Cryptid blood introduced into their system. However, Cryptid and human blood have an aggressive reaction when mixed, and in the majority of cases this would cause the Cryptid blood to burn up the human blood, before being burned away itself, killing the consumer. But on the rare chance this doesn’t happen, the Cryptid blood will slowly burn away the human blood, gradually replacing it as the body begins to adapt.

Once the process is successful, the newly formed mage will gain access to magical abilities, being able to cast spells.

Mages aren’t looked upon favorably in most of the Tretanian continent, as many believe choosing to intake Cryptid blood is a disgusting choice. In some of the more radical Tamist sects, mages are even more hated than Cryptids, as Cryptids did not choose to be Cryptids, but mages chose to take in that fiendish blood. There isn’t much opinion in the Kortial Isles towards mages, as very few mages have existed there.

Duskbloods

Duskbloods are the descendents of mages. The chance of someone being born a Duskblood is around 5-10%, with more mages in the bloodline making it more likely for a child to be born a Duskblood. If two Duskbloods have children together, then each descendent will have a 5% chance of being born human, and this chance will remain for each and every descendent.

Duskbloods are born with Cryptid blood, but unlike their mage ancestor, they cannot perform magic. Instead they are similar to Cryptids, in that they have their own unique ability, with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Duskbloods are much more easily identifiable than mages, as they are born with non-human characteristics that can easily single them out in a crowd of humans. The intensity of these characteristics vary, but they can all clearly mark a Duskblood as not human to even the least perceptive individual.

Opinions of Duskbloods are low throughout the Tretanian continent, mainly due to their appearance. They are heavily discriminated against in many regions, and so have to cover their unique features in order to prevent this as best they can. Surprisingly, Duskbloods are quite accepted in the Kortial Isles, as they are vastly preferred to Cryptids due to their more tolerable nature, as Duskbloods do not share the heightened emotions of Cryptids. Many Duskbloods in Tretania have migrated to the Isles for this reason.

Limitations

Overheating: As seen with Haemography, Cryptid blood burns away when the spells within a sigil are cast. Mages, when casting spells, will feel as if their blood is on fire. This is visible to others as well, as parts of the mages body will glow. Duskbloods also experience this pain, but at a more muted level, as their Cryptid blood is natural. Overuse of abilities for both mages and Duskbloods can lead to overheating, and even death.

Manipulation: Mages are unable to cast spells that directly affect an individual. For example; they cannot cast spells that would influence the mind of somebody, or boil the water within their body.

Physicality: Mages do not gain enhanced physical abilities, only the ability to cast spells. As such, one of the simplest ways to defeat a mage is to overpower them with raw physical strength. Duskbloods on the other hand, do have enhanced physical abilities, but they typically pale in comparison to those of a Cryptid.

Power: It is rare for the unique ability of Duskbloods to be extremely powerful. Typically they will allow for the slight manipulation of an element, or weak generation. These abilities can be trained to increase their strength, but in general, similar to their physicality, they will be weak compared to Cryptid abilities.

Be it energy, the heat of fire, the freezing cold of ice, poison, lightning... When channeling it around them, can it hurt their skin or are they somehow immune to it? How so? If not, what measures do they take to avoid self-inflicted damage? I'm curious how others navigate these questions!

The magic in this world is of three systems Marce, Hermeticism, and Naturr Streering. These three systems are separated by the amount of Essirael an enchanted can handle. Essirael is what fuels the magic, it a mutation in the body awaken in two ways at birth or once pledged worship of a celestial/ powerful spirit. If you use to much magic and your essirael levels become lower than 10, death can be imminent. The magic was given to this world after the Celestial War and the rebirth of Miv'airriah.