LEARNING MAGIC

The ability to perform magic is not an inherited trait. Instead, it is a skill that almost everyone can learn. This also means that it is not possible to perform any magic without first having been trained.

The minimum age required for training in magic is 12 for humans, and the closest equivalent age for other races. The minimum amount of time needed for a human to progress from one level to the next is shown in the table below:

Level----------Minimum Training Time---------Minimum Age
1-------------------------2 years------------------------------14
2-------------------------3 years------------------------------17
3-------------------------4 years------------------------------21
4-------------------------4 years------------------------------25
5-------------------------5 years------------------------------30
6-------------------------6 years------------------------------36

For characters of other races, these figures should be converted to the nearest equivalent for that race. Also, note that levels 4 and above are currently restricted.

There are several ways to obtain training in magic:

The Academy of Magic: Located in the center of the city of Ximax, the Academy of Magic is the best place in the kingdom to receive training in Ximaxian Magic. It has considerable educational resources, and is also where most of the best and most knowledgeable magi are located. Many of the kingdom's magi are trained here.

Other Magic Schools: Most Elven tribes can be assumed to have their own magic school, and Elven characters have the option of being trained in their tribe's school instead of the Academy of Magic. The usual restrictions still apply, however.

Private Tutors: It is also possible to be privately trained by a mage. However, as a private tutor would not have the same resources a school has, and often not as good as a teacher from an actual school, the training is likely to be less effective, and progress will be slower.

BASIC CONCEPTS

The Elements

According to Elven and Ximaxian philosophy, all things are made up of some combination of four basic Elements: Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind. An Element can be thought of as a collection of certain properties. In general, the more influence an element has on an object, the more it displays that Element's properties.

In the Ximaxian Academy, each student attends one, and only one, of its four "Elemental Schools", each of which teaches the manipulation of one of the Elements. This includes not only how to handle the physical form of an Element, but also its various properties.

Properties may be grouped into two categories, physical and spiritual. Physical properties are self-explanatory; they are the properties that are displayed physically. Spiritual properties are displayed only in animate living beings. They have nothing to do with the physical form, and are instead associated with the mind, will, and feelings of the being, influencing how it acts.

The following are some of the more prominent properties each Element:

Earth
Physical: hardness, stillness
Spiritual: obstinacy

Fire
Physical: heat, light
Spiritual: passion

Water
Physical: coldness, fluidity
Spiritual: unpredictability

Wind
Physical: movement, intangibility
Spiritual: calmness

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THE SPHERES

A mage causes magical effects by willing changes to happen to a target's car'áll. There are many possible changes, but all are variants of three basic techniques, called the Spheres. Each Elemental School has their own name for the Spheres, but otherwise they are the same for all four Elements.

Sphere One:
Sphere One is the simplest of the Spheres, and is usually taught from levels 1 to 3. It alters how strongly the properties of an Element is expressed in a car'áll. This can be done with all properties, or with skill, only some, or even just one property. As the influece of an Element is affected by how strongly its properties are being expressed in the car'áll, this can increase or decrease the overall influence of an Element in a target car'áll. The main disadvantage of Sphere One is that its effects are temporary, ending once the caster stops focusing on them. The other Spheres can create more persistent effects.

Sphere Two:
Sphere Two is mainly taught from levels 4 to 6. It involves the movement of ouniá from one location to another. This allows the influence of an Element at a point or a small area be altered. For example, if a mage gathers a lot of Fire ouniá at a single point, it will cause the influence of Fire there to increase greatly, producing a small ball of flame. Sphere Two effects are not always very stable, however. Should the mage in the example stop focusing, the ball of flame would either explode, or if the mage is skillful enough, shoot off in a certain direction.

Sphere Three:
Sphere Three is the most powerful of the Spheres, and is taught from level 7 onwards. It involves the addition and removal of ouniá from a target car'áll. This includes removing ouniá from a car'áll and adding it back in a different configuration. These enable Sphere Three to not only alter the influence of an Element by changing the quantity of its ouniá present, but also to mimic Sphere One and Sphere Two effects. A good knowledge of how the other two Spheres work is needed to use Sphere Three effectively, which is why is taught after them.

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SPELLS

Since levels 4 and above are currently restricted, I will only be listing spells for Sphere 1. Obviously these are just examples and if you would like to create your own spells you are more than welcome to. They will, however, have to be approved by the Captain or Vice Captains before you can use them.

Earth

I. THE SPHERE OF SOLIDITY

Spell Class 1: Rigidity (Physical Representation of Solidity)
The most basic of all Earthen Spells, the Spell Class of Rigidity encompasses all spells that strengthen or weaken the presence of one or more of the basic properties of Earth; solidity, permanence and rigidity. It should be noted that spells of this class do not completely assert or remove the presence of Earth, but merely make it more or less prominent.

RIGIDITY CLASS, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Sanguinary Block (Lv.1) - Increases the solidity of the blood in a targeted area.
b) Colossal Weight (Lv.3) - Increases the weight of the target’s body, causing effects such as slowed movement.
c) Slow (Lv.1) - Increases an object’s desire for permanence, resulting in dulled motion.
d) Congeal (Lv.2) - Halts the motion of an object.
e) Reinforce (Lv.1) - Provides the target with temporarily increase of strength.

Spell Class 2: Obstinancy, Earth Enchantment (Spiritual Representation of Solidity)
Generally mastered at level two, the enchantments contained within the Spell Class of Obstinacy result from the strengthening or weakening of the influence of Earth to control one of the element’s “spiritual” attributes; numbness, obstinacy, permanence, stability, strength, consistency, and are generally manifested as a change in demeanor. Such spells can be applied to all parts of the spirit, including love and ideas.

EARTH ENCHANTMENT, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Iron Will (Lv.2) - Increases the stubbornness of the target.
b) Weaken Resolve (Lv.2) - Decreases the target’s obstinacy.
c) Agitated Dead (Lv.4) - Increases the target's permanence, constitution and resilience, enabling them to temporarily survive wounds otherwise fatal. It should be noted that the target must initially be living and will, in most circumstances, die once casting is completed.

Fire

I. THE SPHERE OF INCANDESCENCE

Spell Class 1: Pyrification (Physical Representation of Incandescence)
Pyrification spells affect how hot, or, in a broader sense, how destructive an object is upon physical contact, though more than just the sense of touch can be manipulated. Meaning, this sphere also controls the distortion of sight, by the controlling of ripples of heat or an object's ability to mimic the light of the Injèrá.

PYRIFICATION CLASS, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Flame Control (Lv.1)
Flame Control causes a fire to increase or decrease in overall strength and burning power.

b) Quell Flame (Lv.1)
The Quell Flame spell can make a flame go away for a short time. Though it cannot destroy a flame this can be used to keep a fire under control.

c) Rise Flame (Lv.1)
Rise Flame produces a small flame if it is cast on something which is inflammable, like a torch, a candle or straw for example.

d) Searing (Lv.1)
Searing is a spell which comes in four different varieties, based on the spell level. It causes a person's hands to warm or even erupt in fire, without harming the caster. A level 1 magical Searing spell is also referred to as “Glowing Hands”, level 4 as “Burning Hands”, level 7 as “Molten Hands” and finally level 10 and higher as “Infernal Hands”.

e) Sparkling Stream (Lv.1)
Sparkling Stream is one of the most popular spells among people without magical training because of the wonderful visual effects, often performed at great festivals and celebrations. This spell produces impressive clouds and streams of sparks in many different colours, based on the reagentia used by the magician.

f) Boiling Blood (Lv.2)
As the name already implies, Boiling Blood causes the target's blood to rise in temperature, thus filling the muscles of a person with fresh energies and making e.g. a worker or a fighter stronger and faster for a short period of time.

g) Injèrán Touch (Lv.2)
The Injèrán Touch spell (also commonly called "Touch of the Sun") can be used to heat up objects.

h) Light (Lv.2)
Enchants an object to give off varying degrees of light, for example to light up a dark area.

i) Fiery Minion (Lv.3)
This arcane spell allows a necromancer in the Element of Fire to create fiery minions, burning corpses, to rise up battling for the wizard, moving objects and aiding the mage in any way the spell creator desires. The true effects of this spell are wide ranged in the simple premise that a low level mage has but a plain mindless drone. But a spell caster of some renown may have a pair of armed flaming combatants with the knowledge of how to coordinate them in battle.

j) Burning Regeneration (Lv.4)
Speeds up a person's natural ability to heal by making the healing processes run faster.

Spell Class 2: Fire Enchantment (Spiritual Representation of Incandescence)
The spiritual equivalent of Pyrification, Fire Enchantments are usually spells cast upon a specific being or group of beings, and generally affect the intensity of one's emotions and lusts, though they can also increase a person's natural charisma and force of personality, as well as fears.

FIRE ENCHANTMENT, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Blood Breaker (Lv.4)
This spell is thought to date back to 298 b.S. during the Sarvonian Dawn, at least a variety of it was supposedly used by the shamans or magis of the Dark Lord of this time period. In the initial fazes thousands of barbarians, orcs, ogres and trolls invaded the regions of the current Santharian provinces of Nermeran and Vardýnn from the northlands. This spell was used upon captured enemies as a way to gather information and to torture. The Blood Breaker name actually may have been given to this spell by orc shamans. Yet there is little evidence to its true origins outside of myths and vague references. Still this name is befitting for it affects the blood flow and is often times used to break the will of ones enemy.

b) Entice (Lv.4)
This fire spell allows its caster to cause someone to become extremely passionate and lustful, to the point where reasoning and self-control is forgotten. The victim of these feelings is usually the first person of the opposite sex seen by the affected person, and thus, the caster is often making eye contact with the target at time of casting. Powerful mages can even cast this on multiple people, causing quite an uproar.

c) Fear
Increases the feelings of fear in a target, putting them into such a cowardly state that even the heartiest of warriors scream like little girls at the sight of their own shadow.

d) Heat Sight
Target sees everything as if it were masked by the heat ripples of fire, thus causing him to miss seeing any details of importance, and somewhat blurring everything around him together, all but blinding him in the fact that he can’t make anything out.

e) Inner Light
Increases a person's own natural inner light - their personality quirks and charismatic actions. Those afflicted with inner light become very charming, and even the nastiest of orc could set down his coat to help a lovely lady cross a puddle dry.

f) Soul Burn
By increasing the force of traumatic events upon an individual, this spell can cause matters of hatred, betrayal, and the death of a loved one become more powerful.

Water

I. THE SPHERE OF CHANGE

Spell Class 1: Transformation (Physical Representation of Change)
Transformation spells deal with the physical affinity to the Element of Water. Something which has been graced, or cursed, with a high Water cár'áll is capable of assuming the flowing, swift currents of its liquid form. This class cannot actually transform a target into something else, as this would need the ability to change the form of cár'áll, and when the spell wears off, a target is immediately returned to the shape it possessed upon transformation. All that is done is lowering the affinity of the facets that normally control the shape and makeup of an object: the solid form that Earth provides, and the spirit that is Wind, and those who become transformed by Water generally lose most of their body heat and often become cold at heart with the lack of affinity towards Fire, and by tapping into the ice property, Water can be frozen as well, and this can be particularily deadly.

TRANSFORMATION, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Liquidization
This spell causes the body to begin to flow and shift with the makeup of a lake or ocean. The being at first retrains the form of its original shape, but can bend and shift to any liquid form, and is immune to most physical attacks.

b) Freeze
This spell takes Liquidization one step further, by focussing and stressing upon the ice properties of the Water Element, and hence freezes the target into a solid, yet brittle form.

c) Ice Touch
By increasing the ice property of Water at any location he/she sets his hand upon, a mage can deal a mild chill to a lethal heart-stopping blast of frost to the target.

Spell Class 2: Water Enchantment (Spiritual Representation of Change)
The spiritual class of change, Water Enchantment causes a transformation to occur at an inner level, and thus, not visible to the outside world except for its indirect effects, such as causing a person to go mad who was once sane. These spells must be cast on a group if a mage wishes others to experience the effect, rather than the single individual.

WATER ENCHANTMENT, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Harmony
This spell causes a person's mind to become serene and calm, and thus makes the target feel as if they are safe and at ease, even when in the middle of a rage.

b) Lunatic Fervor
This spell creates a raging storm of chaotic emotions and thoughts to spiral like a whirlpool in the target's mind, bringing all but the most serious of mind to madness and insanity.

c) Negative Image
Similar to the way that rain water causes multitudes of colours to appear, this spell causes the mind to think that it is seeing the entire area around them to sparkle and dazzle with random colors, confusing and bewildering the target.

d) Skin of Painlessness
This spell dilutes the mind's ability to detect physical pain, similar to the way water generally can dilute harmful substances (like alcohol), causing the target to be able to withstand unbearable torture with a smile. Only pain is reduced, and so damage and death still apply.

Wind

I. THE SPHERE OF MIRAGE

Spell Class 1: Illusion (Physical Representation of Mirage)
Illusion spells target objects or beings which act as the source of the illusion (e.g. a tree, which should be made invisible). Illusion spells do not target beings, which are intended to be tricked through the illusion (e.g. the one seeing an invisible tree). However, all Illusion spells are sensed through vision, which means the caster will more safely place this spell when the target cannot perceive the act of casting, and also not realize the casting through any other senses. This also means that the spell should be cast from a good distance away, for while the illusion may appear to be there, the person to be tricked should not be able to touch, smell or hear what the illusion tries to hide. As if the casting is perceived, this may lead to the one being intended to be tricked may brush off the reality of the illusion make it ineffective.

ILLUSION CLASS, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Static Trap
Usually used along with another, more destructive spell, this spell helps to obscure a trap so that it may remain unseen until it is triggered and the more destructive spell that it hides may be unleashed on the desired target.

b) Shadow
Renders the caster invisible to another individual. This spell also works on large groups depending on the level of the caster.

c) Vanish
Causes an object or nonliving obstruction to be absorbed into the caster’s body so that it may be neither seen nor represent an obstacle for beings who may want to pass through it.

d) Void Breath
The mage becomes extremely difficult to see and to hit in battle, causing them to perhaps appear in many different places at once or blink in and out of an opponent's sight.

e) Chimaera
The mage appears to have transformed his shape to that of an object or another being found in the surrounding area.

Spell Class 2: Wind Enchantment (Spiritual Representation of Mirage)
The spiritual equivalent to a physical illusion, Enchantment, deals with spiritual illusions that tend to be cast on the being who the caster wishes to experience the illusion rather than where they want the target to see the illusion (e.g. a single person, who should see an invisible tree, while others see the tree still visible). Note that unless these spells are cast on a group as a whole, the illusion will always only affect the single target (rather than in a physical illusion that may affect a group as a whole because the spell is cast on the object which is being viewed). In other words, when you create an illusion separate from the person you want to see it (as in a physical illusion spell), more than simply that one person can perceive the illusion. However, when you create an illusion within someone’s mind (as in a spiritual illusion or Enchantment spell) only that one person can see it.

WIND ENCHANTMENT, SPELL EXAMPLES
a) Reflection
Mirrors things in the mind of the target, so that he/she thinks to actually see them.

b) Enlighten
Increases intelligence and wisdom, ability to concentrate etc. and may e.g. help to counterbalance the spell of “confusion”.

c) Obeyance
"Enslaves" someone’s mind, so that he/she does what the caster desires.