Post by Lord Harrab on Feb 19, 2014 1:50:20 GMT
"Magic is much like any skill. Most can learn to use it, some are naturally better at it than others, but none, not even I, can truly claim to have mastered it. Magic can do everything, and that's why it's so hard to make it do anything. In the scope of the infinite possibility magic represents, getting the damn stuff to do exactly what you want when you want it is the whole reason so few magi survive as long as I have. With infinity pressing down upon your mind, even a single thought out of place can kill you.” - The Legendary wandering Magi known as "The Sorceress", when asked by a villager about her craft
From the runes and stonework of the dwarves, to the floating crystal towers of the elves, to the fire-wreathed weapons of human legends, magic is as much a part of the world as the wind or the rain, accepted as just yet another craft that can be used to better the lives of the mortal races.
No-one is sure where this energy exactly comes from, some say the gods, some say the earth, some say from everything. All or none of these theories could be correct and given Magic's nature, it's unlikely an answer will be found. WHat is know is the inherent danger in the craft, Magi tend to be loners not by choice, by by reactions of the common folk, they may be healers of renown who have saved thousands of lives, or black hearted necromancers bent on unlocking the secrets of immorality. Regardless, fear of the art tends to eclipse that of the user, as even the most kind-hearted and helpful Magi can be the victim of a miss-cast and entire towns have paid the price for the outbreak of uncontrolled energy in lives and damage to buildings.
It takes nothing more than the will to learn and someone to teach them for a new magi to be created, but like anything in this world, it takes dedication and practice (with a healthy does of caution) for one to progress beyond bright lights and tricks for children and into magic as a profession. It is a highly dangerous craft and as such a tutor is almost mandatory to guide the student's mind along the rituals and thought exercises that sound like so much waffle and arm waving to outsiders, but in actual fact help prevent the tidal wave of power from overwhelming the Mage's mind and causing untold damage to both caster and the local area.
However, if those gifted with more magical power than most are trained enough to be aware of the gift and restrain it, but not use it, the power can be leached back into the world harmlessly, To that end, The Empire formed the College of Magi to train most gifted in the arts enough to avoid killing themselves or others, never enough to wield the force within them consciously, and only those truly powerful and remarkable to progress beyond into the role of true magi
The Founding of Silver Halls Academy
In its early days, the Empire enforced its laws upon the Academy, only those magical schools thought of as "noble", (Healing, Divination, and enchantment,) along with those useful in its armies, (Illusion, Elemental, and Magical constructs,) were to be taught, with the Darker arts being outlawed. This worked, for a time, the number of "wild mages" dropping drastically, and fees from students, not to mention battlemages and healers that emerged where very welcome in the empire, but Dark mages, ones who wanted to study their own black arts as well as those Wild Mages who didn't want to be mistaken as such, were still causing problems in the realm, seeing no need to submit to the Empire or follow its laws.
The Empire could do little to stop such practitioner of magic until it was too late and by then they were either almost too powerful to stop or suffered a disastrous miscast, either way cost thousands of innocent lives.
in 1134. Arch-Mage Traven, then the head of the Academy, offered a solution. Make the Academy independence, allow it to teach all schools of magic without fear of reprisal and discrimination and it would ensure that mages that abuse their powers were hunted down and punished before they could harm others. If nothing else, having no stigma attached to any magic would encourage those that wished to practice it to learn from those more experienced, and if that took place in a location such as the Academy without the young pupils fearing they would be given over to the witch hunters, at least they would be contained and could be taken care of by those that knew what they were capable of, instead of the normal tactic of throwing soldiers at them until they miscast of someone got lucky with blade or bolt.
The Empire wasn't keen on the idea at first, but after the Rampage of Salrus the Black, which cost them over a Thousand men before the mage was killed, they relented, on the condition that they also trained some of their soldiers to neutralize and resit magic, therefore giving birth to the Inquisitor Order, a group of knights who were not powerful enough to become full magi, but knew enough to recognize and dispel spells placed upon them or others. They became the Magi's enforcers, and internal guards, funded and loyal to the empire, yet also tied to the Magi as both an aid, and a threat.
It wasn't long afterwards that other magic schools started to crop up across the land, both in the empire and beyond, all mainly independent form the nation that spawned them and soon all competing for students and magical artefacts, presence of the Inquisitors and their equivalents in other nations acted quickly to prevent Magical War, and forced the schools into settling their disagreements in less lethal ways, and so the traditions of Magical Championships, Joint Expeditions and Formal Duels were formed, any use of magic outside of school grounds not a part of these three and one without a formal licence to practice magic was considered a crime and those responsible would become a target for the Inquisitor's Enchanted Blades
The Academy today.
As the First and Oldest School of magic, Silver Halls is often the first choice now that magical talent is more common, and it can count the most renowned Magi as Graduates and Teaching staff, their unique treaties with the Dwarf Lords mean only they can teach Runsmithing, and dispute the passing centuries resulting in many other schools cropping up across the world, Silver Halls is the sole Academy of magic that has Elven Loremasters on staff, granting their pupils deeper mastery of the art of magic rarely seen outside its mirror-roofed halls.
Most, however, never get to see beyond the "Guidance" hall, the smallest section of the school, where those gifted with little more that the barest whisper of magic are taught just enough to contain their dangerous talent. Those deemed True mages, that is, those who can willingly manipulate magic, are ushered beyond after their year of "guidance" and can begin their real study at the feet of Magi of legend and, assuming they survive, become capable of wielding power undreamed of.
Students
When they first enter the Academy, they are know as "Aspirants" and spend a year in the Guidance Hall, where they are tested for the touch of magic and their potential measured. They are also taught rituals and mental exercises to calm their mind and earth their energy, so that if they feel it slipping loose they can restrict the effects to only their own person. Small comfort to the mortal in question when some internal force shifts and magic tears them asunder, but it at least means that it results in only one death and their loved ones and nearby people will be unhurt.
Those that pass beyond the huge and ornate doors into the school proper as known as "Students", capable of wielding magic as they will, if they could only be taught the forms and rituals that both protect them and allow them to tap that mystical energy. The Danger of Magic is ever present, and death or worse awaits the reckless and merely unlucky
They are given private rooms, have food and services provided and are introduced to the Magi teachers and the Inqusitors. Rules of conduct are explained and details of study are laid out. They are also fitted for and issued with dwarf made "Mage Armour" a lightweight suit that replace the traditional robes due to the protection from magical energy these lightweight suits can offer, as well as being less restrictive and it can be worn under clothes if the wearer desires. Many Students and Magi modify their Armour to fit with their Chosen School(s) adding things such as pouches, more armour plate, material containers or hidden weapons.
For the world they now walk is rather cutthroat and ruthless, Open fighting between Students is forbidden and enforced via an Inquisitor's blade, yet the number of teachers and the attention they can give is limited, and it is not unheard of for a student to be found dead after an "accident" or simply never found at all. Magic is dangerous and can claim a magi or student at any time. Some students simply help it choose.
Once they are familiar with where they will be spending their lives until their teacher deems them fit for Licence, Students can approach a Magi teacher of a School they are interested and apply for lessons, the criteria of which depends on the Magi and the actual form the lessons will take is likewise as varied. Some may require hours of trawling though magical tomes, others practical tests, Classes are scheduled as the Magi wish them, at any time of the day or night, can contain as many students as they want to teach, they can refuse students, kick them out of classes, or even restrict certain topics within their School. There is no limit to the number of Schools the Students can apply for, but taking on too many can be unwise, especially considering the arbitrary decided methods of teaching.
Inquisitors
Anti-Magic warriors of great skill, Inquisitors are the balance to Magi. When reality can be warped at will, some Magi tend to believe that laws and rules no longer apply to them and raise themselves up on pillars of slaves, corpses and stolen wealth that would in old times require armies and long wars to topple. Now it can be done with a handful of soldiers.
Inquisitors are not just guards and enforcers for Magi and the New Empire, they are completely Magic Immune, spells from fire and lightning dissipate before impact, illusions fade and their emotions are like rock, unchangeable and single minded.
In the Silver Halls they patrol the halls, stand guard at certain locations and enforce the laws of the Empire and Magi. Wrongdoers are warned once to submit before enchanted blades are drawn and the lawbreaker is removed from the world of the living.
Races
Human
Humans are the most numerous and politicly powerful race in the world, however, they are not as long-lived as the Elves, as skilled in war as the Dwarves, as favoured by Magic as the Drenai, or as cunning and trade saavy as the Halflings. They do however have a determination and hunger for power that can drive them past the frailty of their bodies and the failings of their minds to form the largest empire the world has known and keep it there for hundreds of years.
Elf
Elves are One of the oldest races in the world, they are also one of the longest living, as a result they tend to be rather isolationist and react to changes in the world outside their lands in their own time, a fact that has soured their relations with the other races at times. To help fill their long lives, Elves tend to focus their attention on a single path of study, mastering it before moving onto the next. They have countless Sword masters, Master artists and so forth, but they have yet to count a Master Magi among their number, a fact that has vexed their Loremasters to no end
Half-Elf
Humans have long had a fascination with elves, and sometimes that fascination is returned. From these unions a half-breed is born, one with weaker traits from both their parents. Throughout most of know history, both these half-breeds and their parents were mocked by both races, stemming from a hatred born of long wars once raged. In recent times this hatred had faded somewhat, what with both nations being allies for centuries, but sometimes old prejudices resurface and most half elves feel they have to work harder, prove themselves the equal or better than their peers just to be accepted.
Drenai
Drenai are bot an old and new race, old, in that their personal history reaches back even further than the elves' does, new because that history was on another plane of reality.
Roughly three hundred years ago, they suddenly emerged into human lands through great portals, inadvertently sparking a great war with the other races. Despite their fearsome horned heads, glowing eyes and immemce skill at magic, they were not daemons as many feared, simply a race fleeing their old world and seeking another. Dreani are naturally gifted Magi, a result of their extra planar origin, but seem to have a deeply ingrained hatred or mistrust of the darker schools of magic.
Halfling
Halflings are often thought of as loveable tricksters, thieves and farmers. Something they are quite keen to uphold, as it serves to mislead their trading partners. In recent years they have become a major industrial and trading hub to rival the dwarves. Where Magic is concerned they tend to apply their natural inventiveness to the schools or magic, careful applying lessoned learned from one school to what they are studying in another. Risky, but has resulted in remarkable discoveries.
Schools of Magic
Light Schools
Healing, Light, Druid, Ward, Divination
Natural Schools
Familiar, Construct, Element, Potions, Enchantment
Dark Schools
Necromancy, Hex, Illusion, Pain, Shadow
Familiars or Servants
Familiars are the sign of a powerful mage. Familiars or "servants" are summoned creatures, Souls of Great Mortals, or daemonic or Celestial beings. All are intelligent, all are sentient, all have their own desires and reasons for becoming a servant. Despite the name, their relationship with their master is more one of mutual convenience than slavery. The early stages of Familiar study consist of mainly discovering what Servants are willing to enter a pact and what they desire from it. When summoned they agree to serve and protect the Magi in return for a daily price and a long term goal.
When a pact is agreed upon and sealed, their master gains three symbols on their right hand, like tattoos, these are command seals and are a mark of the Servant. These command seals can be used once per seal to overrule a servant's own desires and morals, but if all three seals are lost, the pact is broken and the Servant may take revenge upon their once master for what they were forced to do, or seek a new master.
The ability and skills of a Familiar depends on who or what they were in life, but all have some magical skill and all will defend their master until death for as long as the pact is maintained.
Familiars are NPC assistants that will help players in anything they can for as long as their daily price is paid and their final goal is worked towards. Failure to do so will end the pact and the familiar will take violent offence to the deception.
Playing the Game
You are a New student, a youngling of your race one who has learned the Rites of Sacrifice and have been deemed fit for further study and so you have said goodbye to your family, donned the lightweight suit of your new calling and passed beyond the Black Doors into the academy proper. Here you must impress your teachers with Skill and dedication, while competing for their attention with your fellow students, all the while being careful to balance the power within yourself, for the slightest mistake while it rages within you can spell your doom, but if you can master these energies, the universe will bend to your will.
Schedule
Every game day, players have four timeslots to fill, Morning, Afternoon and Evening are all four hours long, and Night lasts eight.
Players declare what they wish each timeslot to be dedicated to,study of a school of magic, or free time, they must dedicate some to resting however, else the constant risk of miscast is magnified and death or worse may occur.
More to follow