On the Nature of Magic
Well Met Travelers,
So as some of you may know, I am a fan of magic and spell casting in movies, video games, and, of course, Table Top RPGs. Wizards, Sorcerers, and other Magic Users are my favorite characters to play, and as such, I have put a large emphasis on spell casters in my Echos of Eldritch Campaign Setting.
My biggest sources of inspiration for how magic should operate are the Witcher game franchise, Dragonlance, and the Warcraft film and Games. I love the Witcher because of the near Limitless power that the Sorceresses and Mages of that world possess. I love that, and so in Antediluvian, Mages, Druids, and Clerics to a lesser degree have near limitless power. Dragonlance presents the Iconic image of the robed mages that spend intense study in their magical arts, and so that is how I like to portray Mages, but recently, I have tried to portray mages who break the mold, or aren't the robed scholars, but are more like BBC's Merlin. I was inspired by Warcraft specifically because of the way magic is portrayed visually in both their Movie and Games.
Using these Ideas, I have developed my own magic for Echos of Eldritch.
As you read in my History of Antediluvian, Magic was taught to Mages, Clerics, and Druids by the Titans and their Giant Kin. What I did not Mention in that post were the Different Kinds of Magic. The Forms of Magic in Antediluvian are Arcane, Divine, and Natural. While all magic comes from mana, the kind of magic is determined from how the mana is harnessed.
Before I can talk about the Kinds of Magic, I must briefly Explain the Spheres of Magic:
The Spheres of Magic are the different power levels a Spell caster can attain. There are 10 Spheres of Magic for each field of magic that exists, but most only ever reach sphere 5, those who go higher and reach the 8th and 9th sphere are referred to as Archmages, High Priests, and Archdruids, but few ever reach the 10th sphere, and only Members of the Brotherhood of the Whispering Ring have been known to attain the 10th Sphere in More than one area of Magic.
Arcane-Arcane Magic is the kind of magic where the spell caster himself draws mana from the world around him, from people, from trees, from the air, from the dead, etc. Arcane Spellcasters are referred to in General as Mages or Magi. Of course, there are specific types of arcane spellcasters, but I shall detail that later. Arcane Spell casters are capable of drawing incredible power from the mana they can harness because the only limitation to their magical ability is their understanding of magic and their ability to harness mana. This often leads to wizards seeking immortality, Magi who are like god-kings, and Sorcerers who could destroy a kingdom with a flick of their wrists. While many RPG gamers would say that this is unfair and unbalanced, I say it makes sense that those who can harness that type of power would be near unrivaled in strength, but I do offer limits to mage power. The first is self-limitation, not every mage has the desire to rule, many are only concerned with gaining enough power to live a comfortable life. The other limiting factor on arcane magic is the spheres.
Divine- Divine Magic is magic that is granted to a spell caster by a divine force such as a god, lesser god, or some form of Spirit (like an elemental or one's ancestors). Often these spells come from prayers; the caster prays for an effect and the God grants the prayers and manipulates the mana for the caster, but that is not the only way. Some are born with a spark of divinity within them and can draw directly on the god's powers that way. What matters for divine spell casters is that their powers come from a Divine being or spirit. This means that divine casters can rarely attain the same level of power as a Mage, for if the gods disagree with the cleric's use of powers, the gods can cut off the cleric from their power by not answering prayers. Again, some would argue that this is me favoring mages and that it breaks game balance. I agree, but I am also not as inclined to game balance as others. I favor a fun game to a fair game. Plus this is a point of contention in the politics of my world, but I do have a way to make up for a cleric being beholden to a higher power: Miracles. Clerics are conduits for divine power, so if they are in truly dire straights, they can pray to their gods for things that they know are beyond their power level, and the god may be obliged to answer. When a cleric pulls off something far beyond their power, we call it a Miracle. There are many varieties of Divine casters, clerics being the most common, but I shall Detail the Rest Later.
Natural- Natural Magic is a form of magic that falls somewhere between divinity and arcane magic. Those who cast natural spells draw their power from the mana in the natural world. This means that they draw their magic from the plants, animals, and natural features from the world around them, but it also means that they tend to like to spend their time in the wilderness surrounded by these natural features. These casters (who I will discuss later in this post) are not limited to using their magic in these environs, however, for humans are animals, bricks are still stones, and the air is part of nature. This means that Natural spell casters are capable of drawing magic from just about anywhere. Druids are almost as powerful as mages, but they too practice self-limitation, as most follow an Ancient Spirituality known as the Old Way. While this old way tells them how they can and cannot use their magic, it also gives them incredible powers like summoning an immortal spirit of nature to guard a sacred glade or use the natural environment to make their entire city of Entlarian disappear.
I suppose that I should also mention the other form of magic that exists but is rarely ever used. This is the Old Magic, Also known as High Magic. This form of magic was once known to all spell casters, it was the first magic that was taught by the Titans. It combines all three forms of magic to some degree, such as a mage shaping mana (arcane) while praising a god(divine) under the full moon(natural). Old Magic is incredibly powerful, far more so than the magic of mages, but often times it also requires a sacrifice, such as blood, a specific act, or even a child. The three Factions that we call Mages, Clerics, and Druids arose, for each thought a different aspect of High Magic was important for the spells to work, and each began practicing magic with an emphasis on that aspect. This is how the three previously mentioned forms of magic were born, and with their creation, the old magic began to fade. Old Magic has few practitioners, but some do exist. These are often hags and crones, Fey and their relatives, and a few very ambitious Mortals.
Practitioners:
Arcane:
Wizards- Also known as Sorcerers (or one who studies magic, any mage who studies is actually a sorcerer), Wizards are spell casters who have spent years studying how to shape the mana in the world around them. They may have shown some early aptitude for magic, but lack the natural ability to do it. They often carry with them tomes full of spells and formulae that they have learned or are trying to learn.
Warlocks- Warlock in our world is actually a derivative of the old English word for traitor, as such, I have adapted that into my world. Warlocks are spell casters who have made a bargain with a powerful magical entity in exchange for magical power. They are viewed as traitors to the art, for they bypassed the years of study it takes to become any other type of mage. Other mages do not take action about this, however, because often times the deals that warlocks make for power bite them in the rear later on.
Demonologists- While Demonologists are Just a branch of wizardry, it is important to understand that their art is not Inherently evil, but it is regarded by the common people with distrust and fear. This art is also not in violation of the Laws of Magic. They spend years learning about different kinds of demons, as well as how to bind and control those demons long before they ever even attempt to summon them. Demonologists are wizards who use demons and demonic magic to achieve their own ends. There are good demonologists, who use their understanding of Demons to rid the world of them, just as there are evil demonologists who seek to use demons to conquer the world, and yet we usually only hear about the evil ones.
Necromancers- Again, Necromancers are just Wizards who deal with the dead, but it is important to understand the mindset of the people in Antediluvian before we assume necromancy is evil. The people of Antediluvian understand that when the living die, their souls pass into the possession of whichever entity has the greatest claim on their soul, whether that is a god, demon, or even a fey lord. This means that when someone dies, their body is no longer the person. This makes animating the dead an act that, while distasteful, is not rejected except by certain churches. Necromancers are, however, subject to a specific law of magic: the Law of Souls. No spell caster is to cast a spell that captures, harms, destroys, or otherwise negatively impacts a soul. This does, however, mean that necromancers are permitted to bring souls back to the world of the living if the soul is willing, thus vampires and other sentient undead are made.
Blood Mages- Blood mages, often called Sanguimancers, are arcane casters who still use blood sacrifice to harness their spells. They find that mana is more potent when drawn from spilled blood. All of their magic involves shedding their own blood, or drawing power from the blood spilled by wounded opponents. Sanguimancers are rare, and often feared by common folk.
Aether Touched- Those born with the gift of magical shaping. There are many ways for an Aether touched to come into being, some have an ancestor who was a powerful magical creature, such as an archmage or dragon. Others were near a major magical rift at some point while still in the womb, yet others there is no explanation for, they just exist.
Witches- Not just female wizards, Witches are Arcane spell casters whose magic involves a lot of ingredients from the natural world, this means that their magic also happens to appear druidic. In truth, Witchcraft is derived from the Old Way, The Druidic spiritual system. This does not make their magic natural, for they do not draw their magic from the natural landscape, they just use nature in their spellwork. Every aspect of their magic is arcane; it is just touched by Druidic ritualism.
Hedge Mages- The most despised of the arcane spellcasters. While all other mages have been trained by either a Master of the Art or a college, hedge mages possess no such formal training. They understand magic because they were self-taught or trained by another Hedge Mage. Hedge Mages have no understanding of the laws of magic, and they often lack the training to efficiently control their magic, meaning that magical accidents surround hedge mages. This has lead to the nickname of wild mage.
Divine
Cleric- The most common type of Divine Caster, clerics are Holy Men and Women who dedicate themselves to the Gods and Lesser Gods of the Universe. Clerics are almost always trained priests of their deities and know all of the Deity's ritual practices such as marriage, last rights, etc. Clerics receive their power through direct prayers to the deity, and the deity may choose to answer the prayer or not, the deity will almost always answer the prayer unless the cleric is violating the tenants of that Deity's religion.
Shaman- Shaman are holy men who receive their power from spirits, such as their ancestors, elementals, or spirit of the land. While clerics claim to have personal relationships with their gods, Shaman tends to have even more personal relationships with the spirit world, this tends to bring about a deep reverence for all things, living and otherwise. Due to the lack of a religious structure, each Shaman may approach his faith and spellcasting differently while still getting similar results. It is unlikely for Shaman to be cut off from their power, but if they anger the spirits from whom they draw their power and fail to make amends, the spirits will eventually sever their connection to the Shaman.
Vessel- A vessel is a unique kind of Divine Spell caster, for while in the womb, a god may fuse a fragment of its own divinity with the child's soul. This makes the Child a living receptacle of the God's power, but it also means that the god cannot cut off the caster from this divine power. These divine casters tend to be some of the most powerful High Priests and Paladins. When a Vessel Dies, their soul immediately goes to the realm of the gods despite any other claims on the soul, and the Fragment of Divinity returns to the God. The God's power is weakened slightly by the removal of a piece of themselves, but usually, they become more powerful than before when the fragment is restored because the Vessel's work for the god grew the fragment's power.
Prophets- prophets are Divine Spellcasters gifted with divine insight. These diviners often cast spells that predict the future and issue warnings to Heretics. They are most often sent by gods to warn of coming trials and tribulations. They are also one of the rarest forms of divine caster, but they are perceived as more common than they are because it is easy to mistake a Druidic seer as a divine prophet.
Paladins- Paladins are divine Knights, champions of the Causes that a god supports, sworn to uphold the tenants of the god's religion and to face the enemies of that god without flinching. To endure these trials, the gods grant them a limited form of divine magic to heal their allies with the Gentle laying on of hands and to smite their foes with divine power.
Natural
Druids- While most natural casters are referred to as druids, the word really refers to those Natural spellcasters who take the shape of plants and beasts. Druids find that the best way to follow the Old Way is to become one with nature; the best way to ally oneself with the natural magics is to become nature. Druids see themselves as the shepherds of the Natural order and will strive to uphold that order. All that join the Druidic order abandon their birth name, choosing instead a Druidic (Celtic) name by which they will be known for the rest of their days among Druids.
Seers- Seers are a different kind of natural caster because for whatever reason, they have the sight, an ability to pierce the veil between worlds, allowing them to perceive the passage of time, the flow of magic, and even the different aspects of a mortal soul and who has laid claim to it. Most seers live a troubled life, for while most mortals would consider their ability a gift, it is more of a curse. Many seers are plagued by haunting dreams, voices in their heads, and other such afflictions of the mind, for while the sight lets them see things other could only dream of, it also opens their mind up to horrors that the mortal mind was never meant to see.
Wardens- Wardens are like paladins of nature. These Nature Knights or Green Knights are servants of the natural world. Their powers are often a gift of Rayna the Mother of Nature. Their duty is to work alongside the Druids and other Natural spellcasters to preserve the Old Way and keep her children safe from the Destructive nature of humans and Demi-humans. As a reward for their service, nature allows itself to be bent to the Warden's will.
Tree Speaker- Tree speakers are those born with the ability to harness natural magic. They get their name from the Fact that they innately know the language of beasts and trees, and this is one of the first abilities that a Tree Speaker learns to harness. Tree Speakers are typically some of the strongest natural spell casters in the realm because while most other Natural casters seek to become one with nature, Tree Speakers are Nature. This being the case, Tree Speakers often become the leaders of Druidic Circles and other organizations of Natural casters. it is rumored that most of the Arch-Druids of Entlarian were Tree Speakers.
Green Healer- The last known form of Natural Spellcasters are Green healers. While most natural casters seek to prevent the damage to the natural landscape, Green healers spend their time healing the damage that has already been wrought. Some Green healers are former destroyers of the natureal landscape that have come to understand the importance of nature, others have always understood the value of the natural world, but whatever their origin, green healers have one purpose, to restore the vitality of the landscape.
Other Magical Phenomena
Curses- Curses in Antediluvian are different from curses in other systems and settings for their are three kinds of Curses: lesser curses, greater curses, and elder curses. Each kind of curse is functionally different from other kinds of curses, and each can be cured differently. Lesser curses are the most common type of curse and can be cast by most basic casters, consequently they can be cured by the most minor of spells and even sometimes by nonmagical means. An example of a lesser curse would be a curse of uncoordination, cause it the victim to struggle with any dexterous task. A greater curse is far rarer and can be cast by most higher level spell casters, this results in the curse being harder to break, often needing a cleric or other high level spell caster to break. An example of this would be the curse of the rotten which plague the victim with perpetually rotting skin causing them to suffer chronic pain and disease until it can be broken. Elder Curses are by far the rarest form of curse, only able to be cast by spell casters of the highest spheres such as Archmages, High Priests, Hag Covens, and gods. Elder Curses are nearly impossible to break, and persist even beyond death, for an elder curse my stretch on for generations. The only way to break an elder curse it through divine intervention or by performing a specific ritual under a specific set of circumstances. An example of an elder curse is lycanthropy.
Relics- The word relic refers to a body part or object of significance pertaining to a powerful spell caster. The reason that I bring these items up is because the hold an interesting property, magic of the person to whom the relic belonged lingers in the relic long after the caster is dead. The power in these relics can be harnessed by later spell casters to improve their magic. Some relics are expendable meaning that once the magic is harnessed, the relic is rendered inert, but there are a few powerful relics that are permanently infused with magic. Relics can be used on their own, or they can be used to craft magic items, alters, or other Foci that can be used to channel magical energy. It is for this reason that temples keep the bones and possessions of saints, for these items can be used in time of dire need to help channels divine miracles. Bones are less frequently used by mages, who prefer to use the magical implements of dead mages, this is why many mages keep the staves of others, hoping that these staves and other items may be Arcane relics. Druids and other natural casters tend to use both bones and items as relics.
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http://ll-c.ooyala.com/e1/cycmI5YzE6oLvYO4sjYHBGhw6BBf9ueI/promo326689252
I think that is all for this time. As always, If you enjoyed, click the follow button in the side bar.
Until Next time,
Farewell and Safe Journeys, Travelers.
So as some of you may know, I am a fan of magic and spell casting in movies, video games, and, of course, Table Top RPGs. Wizards, Sorcerers, and other Magic Users are my favorite characters to play, and as such, I have put a large emphasis on spell casters in my Echos of Eldritch Campaign Setting.
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| https://i.pinimg.com/736x/62/fc/be/62fcbef9028f3894d41c33c4464cd53f--male-mage-fila.jpg |
My biggest sources of inspiration for how magic should operate are the Witcher game franchise, Dragonlance, and the Warcraft film and Games. I love the Witcher because of the near Limitless power that the Sorceresses and Mages of that world possess. I love that, and so in Antediluvian, Mages, Druids, and Clerics to a lesser degree have near limitless power. Dragonlance presents the Iconic image of the robed mages that spend intense study in their magical arts, and so that is how I like to portray Mages, but recently, I have tried to portray mages who break the mold, or aren't the robed scholars, but are more like BBC's Merlin. I was inspired by Warcraft specifically because of the way magic is portrayed visually in both their Movie and Games.
Using these Ideas, I have developed my own magic for Echos of Eldritch.
As you read in my History of Antediluvian, Magic was taught to Mages, Clerics, and Druids by the Titans and their Giant Kin. What I did not Mention in that post were the Different Kinds of Magic. The Forms of Magic in Antediluvian are Arcane, Divine, and Natural. While all magic comes from mana, the kind of magic is determined from how the mana is harnessed.
Before I can talk about the Kinds of Magic, I must briefly Explain the Spheres of Magic:
The Spheres of Magic are the different power levels a Spell caster can attain. There are 10 Spheres of Magic for each field of magic that exists, but most only ever reach sphere 5, those who go higher and reach the 8th and 9th sphere are referred to as Archmages, High Priests, and Archdruids, but few ever reach the 10th sphere, and only Members of the Brotherhood of the Whispering Ring have been known to attain the 10th Sphere in More than one area of Magic.
Arcane-Arcane Magic is the kind of magic where the spell caster himself draws mana from the world around him, from people, from trees, from the air, from the dead, etc. Arcane Spellcasters are referred to in General as Mages or Magi. Of course, there are specific types of arcane spellcasters, but I shall detail that later. Arcane Spell casters are capable of drawing incredible power from the mana they can harness because the only limitation to their magical ability is their understanding of magic and their ability to harness mana. This often leads to wizards seeking immortality, Magi who are like god-kings, and Sorcerers who could destroy a kingdom with a flick of their wrists. While many RPG gamers would say that this is unfair and unbalanced, I say it makes sense that those who can harness that type of power would be near unrivaled in strength, but I do offer limits to mage power. The first is self-limitation, not every mage has the desire to rule, many are only concerned with gaining enough power to live a comfortable life. The other limiting factor on arcane magic is the spheres.
Divine- Divine Magic is magic that is granted to a spell caster by a divine force such as a god, lesser god, or some form of Spirit (like an elemental or one's ancestors). Often these spells come from prayers; the caster prays for an effect and the God grants the prayers and manipulates the mana for the caster, but that is not the only way. Some are born with a spark of divinity within them and can draw directly on the god's powers that way. What matters for divine spell casters is that their powers come from a Divine being or spirit. This means that divine casters can rarely attain the same level of power as a Mage, for if the gods disagree with the cleric's use of powers, the gods can cut off the cleric from their power by not answering prayers. Again, some would argue that this is me favoring mages and that it breaks game balance. I agree, but I am also not as inclined to game balance as others. I favor a fun game to a fair game. Plus this is a point of contention in the politics of my world, but I do have a way to make up for a cleric being beholden to a higher power: Miracles. Clerics are conduits for divine power, so if they are in truly dire straights, they can pray to their gods for things that they know are beyond their power level, and the god may be obliged to answer. When a cleric pulls off something far beyond their power, we call it a Miracle. There are many varieties of Divine casters, clerics being the most common, but I shall Detail the Rest Later.
Natural- Natural Magic is a form of magic that falls somewhere between divinity and arcane magic. Those who cast natural spells draw their power from the mana in the natural world. This means that they draw their magic from the plants, animals, and natural features from the world around them, but it also means that they tend to like to spend their time in the wilderness surrounded by these natural features. These casters (who I will discuss later in this post) are not limited to using their magic in these environs, however, for humans are animals, bricks are still stones, and the air is part of nature. This means that Natural spell casters are capable of drawing magic from just about anywhere. Druids are almost as powerful as mages, but they too practice self-limitation, as most follow an Ancient Spirituality known as the Old Way. While this old way tells them how they can and cannot use their magic, it also gives them incredible powers like summoning an immortal spirit of nature to guard a sacred glade or use the natural environment to make their entire city of Entlarian disappear.
I suppose that I should also mention the other form of magic that exists but is rarely ever used. This is the Old Magic, Also known as High Magic. This form of magic was once known to all spell casters, it was the first magic that was taught by the Titans. It combines all three forms of magic to some degree, such as a mage shaping mana (arcane) while praising a god(divine) under the full moon(natural). Old Magic is incredibly powerful, far more so than the magic of mages, but often times it also requires a sacrifice, such as blood, a specific act, or even a child. The three Factions that we call Mages, Clerics, and Druids arose, for each thought a different aspect of High Magic was important for the spells to work, and each began practicing magic with an emphasis on that aspect. This is how the three previously mentioned forms of magic were born, and with their creation, the old magic began to fade. Old Magic has few practitioners, but some do exist. These are often hags and crones, Fey and their relatives, and a few very ambitious Mortals.
Practitioners:
Arcane:
Wizards- Also known as Sorcerers (or one who studies magic, any mage who studies is actually a sorcerer), Wizards are spell casters who have spent years studying how to shape the mana in the world around them. They may have shown some early aptitude for magic, but lack the natural ability to do it. They often carry with them tomes full of spells and formulae that they have learned or are trying to learn.
Warlocks- Warlock in our world is actually a derivative of the old English word for traitor, as such, I have adapted that into my world. Warlocks are spell casters who have made a bargain with a powerful magical entity in exchange for magical power. They are viewed as traitors to the art, for they bypassed the years of study it takes to become any other type of mage. Other mages do not take action about this, however, because often times the deals that warlocks make for power bite them in the rear later on.
Demonologists- While Demonologists are Just a branch of wizardry, it is important to understand that their art is not Inherently evil, but it is regarded by the common people with distrust and fear. This art is also not in violation of the Laws of Magic. They spend years learning about different kinds of demons, as well as how to bind and control those demons long before they ever even attempt to summon them. Demonologists are wizards who use demons and demonic magic to achieve their own ends. There are good demonologists, who use their understanding of Demons to rid the world of them, just as there are evil demonologists who seek to use demons to conquer the world, and yet we usually only hear about the evil ones.
Necromancers- Again, Necromancers are just Wizards who deal with the dead, but it is important to understand the mindset of the people in Antediluvian before we assume necromancy is evil. The people of Antediluvian understand that when the living die, their souls pass into the possession of whichever entity has the greatest claim on their soul, whether that is a god, demon, or even a fey lord. This means that when someone dies, their body is no longer the person. This makes animating the dead an act that, while distasteful, is not rejected except by certain churches. Necromancers are, however, subject to a specific law of magic: the Law of Souls. No spell caster is to cast a spell that captures, harms, destroys, or otherwise negatively impacts a soul. This does, however, mean that necromancers are permitted to bring souls back to the world of the living if the soul is willing, thus vampires and other sentient undead are made.
Blood Mages- Blood mages, often called Sanguimancers, are arcane casters who still use blood sacrifice to harness their spells. They find that mana is more potent when drawn from spilled blood. All of their magic involves shedding their own blood, or drawing power from the blood spilled by wounded opponents. Sanguimancers are rare, and often feared by common folk.
Aether Touched- Those born with the gift of magical shaping. There are many ways for an Aether touched to come into being, some have an ancestor who was a powerful magical creature, such as an archmage or dragon. Others were near a major magical rift at some point while still in the womb, yet others there is no explanation for, they just exist.
Witches- Not just female wizards, Witches are Arcane spell casters whose magic involves a lot of ingredients from the natural world, this means that their magic also happens to appear druidic. In truth, Witchcraft is derived from the Old Way, The Druidic spiritual system. This does not make their magic natural, for they do not draw their magic from the natural landscape, they just use nature in their spellwork. Every aspect of their magic is arcane; it is just touched by Druidic ritualism.
Hedge Mages- The most despised of the arcane spellcasters. While all other mages have been trained by either a Master of the Art or a college, hedge mages possess no such formal training. They understand magic because they were self-taught or trained by another Hedge Mage. Hedge Mages have no understanding of the laws of magic, and they often lack the training to efficiently control their magic, meaning that magical accidents surround hedge mages. This has lead to the nickname of wild mage.
Divine
Cleric- The most common type of Divine Caster, clerics are Holy Men and Women who dedicate themselves to the Gods and Lesser Gods of the Universe. Clerics are almost always trained priests of their deities and know all of the Deity's ritual practices such as marriage, last rights, etc. Clerics receive their power through direct prayers to the deity, and the deity may choose to answer the prayer or not, the deity will almost always answer the prayer unless the cleric is violating the tenants of that Deity's religion.
Shaman- Shaman are holy men who receive their power from spirits, such as their ancestors, elementals, or spirit of the land. While clerics claim to have personal relationships with their gods, Shaman tends to have even more personal relationships with the spirit world, this tends to bring about a deep reverence for all things, living and otherwise. Due to the lack of a religious structure, each Shaman may approach his faith and spellcasting differently while still getting similar results. It is unlikely for Shaman to be cut off from their power, but if they anger the spirits from whom they draw their power and fail to make amends, the spirits will eventually sever their connection to the Shaman.
Vessel- A vessel is a unique kind of Divine Spell caster, for while in the womb, a god may fuse a fragment of its own divinity with the child's soul. This makes the Child a living receptacle of the God's power, but it also means that the god cannot cut off the caster from this divine power. These divine casters tend to be some of the most powerful High Priests and Paladins. When a Vessel Dies, their soul immediately goes to the realm of the gods despite any other claims on the soul, and the Fragment of Divinity returns to the God. The God's power is weakened slightly by the removal of a piece of themselves, but usually, they become more powerful than before when the fragment is restored because the Vessel's work for the god grew the fragment's power.
Prophets- prophets are Divine Spellcasters gifted with divine insight. These diviners often cast spells that predict the future and issue warnings to Heretics. They are most often sent by gods to warn of coming trials and tribulations. They are also one of the rarest forms of divine caster, but they are perceived as more common than they are because it is easy to mistake a Druidic seer as a divine prophet.
Paladins- Paladins are divine Knights, champions of the Causes that a god supports, sworn to uphold the tenants of the god's religion and to face the enemies of that god without flinching. To endure these trials, the gods grant them a limited form of divine magic to heal their allies with the Gentle laying on of hands and to smite their foes with divine power.
Natural
Druids- While most natural casters are referred to as druids, the word really refers to those Natural spellcasters who take the shape of plants and beasts. Druids find that the best way to follow the Old Way is to become one with nature; the best way to ally oneself with the natural magics is to become nature. Druids see themselves as the shepherds of the Natural order and will strive to uphold that order. All that join the Druidic order abandon their birth name, choosing instead a Druidic (Celtic) name by which they will be known for the rest of their days among Druids.
Seers- Seers are a different kind of natural caster because for whatever reason, they have the sight, an ability to pierce the veil between worlds, allowing them to perceive the passage of time, the flow of magic, and even the different aspects of a mortal soul and who has laid claim to it. Most seers live a troubled life, for while most mortals would consider their ability a gift, it is more of a curse. Many seers are plagued by haunting dreams, voices in their heads, and other such afflictions of the mind, for while the sight lets them see things other could only dream of, it also opens their mind up to horrors that the mortal mind was never meant to see.
Wardens- Wardens are like paladins of nature. These Nature Knights or Green Knights are servants of the natural world. Their powers are often a gift of Rayna the Mother of Nature. Their duty is to work alongside the Druids and other Natural spellcasters to preserve the Old Way and keep her children safe from the Destructive nature of humans and Demi-humans. As a reward for their service, nature allows itself to be bent to the Warden's will.
Tree Speaker- Tree speakers are those born with the ability to harness natural magic. They get their name from the Fact that they innately know the language of beasts and trees, and this is one of the first abilities that a Tree Speaker learns to harness. Tree Speakers are typically some of the strongest natural spell casters in the realm because while most other Natural casters seek to become one with nature, Tree Speakers are Nature. This being the case, Tree Speakers often become the leaders of Druidic Circles and other organizations of Natural casters. it is rumored that most of the Arch-Druids of Entlarian were Tree Speakers.
Green Healer- The last known form of Natural Spellcasters are Green healers. While most natural casters seek to prevent the damage to the natural landscape, Green healers spend their time healing the damage that has already been wrought. Some Green healers are former destroyers of the natureal landscape that have come to understand the importance of nature, others have always understood the value of the natural world, but whatever their origin, green healers have one purpose, to restore the vitality of the landscape.
Other Magical Phenomena
Curses- Curses in Antediluvian are different from curses in other systems and settings for their are three kinds of Curses: lesser curses, greater curses, and elder curses. Each kind of curse is functionally different from other kinds of curses, and each can be cured differently. Lesser curses are the most common type of curse and can be cast by most basic casters, consequently they can be cured by the most minor of spells and even sometimes by nonmagical means. An example of a lesser curse would be a curse of uncoordination, cause it the victim to struggle with any dexterous task. A greater curse is far rarer and can be cast by most higher level spell casters, this results in the curse being harder to break, often needing a cleric or other high level spell caster to break. An example of this would be the curse of the rotten which plague the victim with perpetually rotting skin causing them to suffer chronic pain and disease until it can be broken. Elder Curses are by far the rarest form of curse, only able to be cast by spell casters of the highest spheres such as Archmages, High Priests, Hag Covens, and gods. Elder Curses are nearly impossible to break, and persist even beyond death, for an elder curse my stretch on for generations. The only way to break an elder curse it through divine intervention or by performing a specific ritual under a specific set of circumstances. An example of an elder curse is lycanthropy.
Relics- The word relic refers to a body part or object of significance pertaining to a powerful spell caster. The reason that I bring these items up is because the hold an interesting property, magic of the person to whom the relic belonged lingers in the relic long after the caster is dead. The power in these relics can be harnessed by later spell casters to improve their magic. Some relics are expendable meaning that once the magic is harnessed, the relic is rendered inert, but there are a few powerful relics that are permanently infused with magic. Relics can be used on their own, or they can be used to craft magic items, alters, or other Foci that can be used to channel magical energy. It is for this reason that temples keep the bones and possessions of saints, for these items can be used in time of dire need to help channels divine miracles. Bones are less frequently used by mages, who prefer to use the magical implements of dead mages, this is why many mages keep the staves of others, hoping that these staves and other items may be Arcane relics. Druids and other natural casters tend to use both bones and items as relics.
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I think that is all for this time. As always, If you enjoyed, click the follow button in the side bar.
Until Next time,
Farewell and Safe Journeys, Travelers.
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