Magic
Magic is a broad term used to describe special occurrences that defy conventional physics. The exact definition of magic is the subject of many areas of study, and many cultures throughout Lydera define magic in different ways. Modern scholarship, however, tends to utilize the Alderian understanding of magic and refers to its principles by Alderian terminology. By this system, magic is divided into the distinct categories of soul magic, Archsoul magic, enchantment, and aetherial magic.
History
Prehistory (1550 AE and prior)
Evidence from early artifacts seems to suggest that humans have always possessed some capacity for soul magic, specifically the disciplines that would later be known as Telekinesis and Mobility. Primitive forms of enchantment can also be seen in tools recovered from burial grounds dating back to circa 3000 AE, often in the form of aetherial reinforcement on tools and weapons. While some believe this to be evidence that ancient humans knew how to create enchanted materials, the consensus among scholars is that these tools were made using existing material that craftsmen of the time were able to identify as possessing enchanted properties through mundane observation.
Certain cave paintings appear to depict creatures similar to nightmares and minor Celestials. While such creatures have doubtlessly made an appearance in mankind's early history, similarities between these artworks and known aetherial beings are believed to be coincidental, as ancient humans did not have the means to summon or contact such creatures.
The technique of sensing magic is not thought to have been widespread during this time. Writings of the time suggest that magical experiences were exceedingly rare and humans of the time did not know how to reproduce them.
Gargoyles are believed to have been constructed around 2500 AE by either the fey or the Icarian Empire and then gifted to human kings. Recent estimations by Archmage Cassian A. Vindelton seem to suggest a significantly older origin instead, potentially older than Lydera itself. No hypothesis has yet been produced to explain how this would be possible, leading most scholars to reject the claim.
Magic in prehistory was usually thought of as solely the work of immaterial spirits - something halfway between the modern understanding of Archsoul magic and etherial magic. Humans who used soul magic seem to have been venerated by religious institutions, and most records of the time show a generally positive view of magic - albeit a generally negative view of the magical creatures of their myths. No recorded efforts were made to study the substance of magic, though magic features frequently in art and poetry of the time.
The Black Age (1550 - 1222 AE)
The first form of magic to be recorded and taught on a large scale was blood enchantment. The earliest evidence of human blood being used regularly for enchantment dates back to circa 1550 AE by nomadic tribes near modern-day Dorus. Multiple blood enchanted weapons from this period and region have been recovered that predate the building of the Tower of Skulls by the Kingdom of Darsith in 1442 AE, and it was likely these weapons that inspired the construction of the tower. With the construction of the Tower of Skulls and the ensuing Blood War, the craft of blood enchantment spread across Lydera rapidly. In response to the unparalleled power of the Darsith military, it is believed that several civilizations independently invented the Rending, Mending, and Evocation disciplines of soul magic, as well as multiple rituals to raise the dead.
These new powers divided humanity into the red factions, who were practitioners of blood magic, and the white factions, who were opponents of blood magic. Over the following 200 years, most white factions were either slain by blood magic or became blood magic users themselves. While it is believed that the white factions were able to discover powerful new disciplines of magic, especially in Oria, little evidence of this progress remains. Because of the Annihilation Edict, a widespread policy of destroying libraries and weapons upon conquering new cities that was intended to stifle the development of enemy weapons, any potential progress that may have been made during this time has been lost.
The greatest impact of the Black Age was the prominence of the idea of magic as a tool. Prior to this, all study of magic was extremely limited and riddled with superstition. Magic was not seen as a consistent and repeatable force until the development of blood magic. Soon, regional warlords would fight over each other to seize control of blood magicians. The rapid increase in warfare, then, drove other nations and tribes to adopt defensive magic. As historian Rellian Gray stated of the era, "[humanity] learned very quickly how to weaponize magic. The ones who did not were easily trampled by those who did. Never again would Lydera see such a massively polarizing development, nor would her peoples experience such a universal change in mindset."
Antiquity (1222 - 1000)
Soul Magic
The soul is an organ in many living beings that extends into the aether. While this organ serves many purposes, not all of them are classified as magic. The foremost purpose of the soul is as a limb. The flesh of the soul is highly malleable, able to stretch and grasp aetherial objects. This manipulation is what most disciplines of soul magic rely on. The second purpose of the soul is to augment the body's natural healing and immune system by maintaining an image of how the body should function and directing the body's biological functions to match that image. Thirdly, the soul plays some role in conscious thought alongside the brain, although the exact extent of this is a topic of debate among experts. The latter two functions are not considered magical by themselves, though they can be supplemented by magic.
The Alderian system recognizes 7 distinct disciplines, sometimes called specializations, of soul magic: Mobility, Domination, Evocation, Telekinesis, Rending, Mending, and Clairvoyance.
Mobility
Mobility is the usage of the soul to move the rest of the body. This is similar to the usage of the legs to move, except that the soul is used to push off of aetherial objects. Typically this is done either by extending the soul directly out to a rigid point in the aether and pushing the body along it or by shaping the soul like a sail to move along aetherial winds.
Studies suggest that as many as 80% of Alderian citizens can use some amount of Mobility, making it the most practiced form of magic in the world.
Domination
Domination refers to the usage of the soul to tamper with the mental capacities of another creature. This can cause shifts in emotion and potentially the emergence of unwanted thoughts. Domination relies on the soul's role in cognition and involves physically disrupting the grey matter stored in the soul's soft tissues. This is similar to the dizziness caused by a strong blow to the head, except that more specific responses are possible due to the soul's lack of external protection.
The Alderian Registry for Magic Restrictions recognizes Domination as a moderate threat. This means that learning this discipline from a mentor requires proper certification and licensing.
Evocation
Evocation involves transferring energy from the aether to the material world. This usually involves finding a pocket of energy and creating a small incision to begin letting the energy out in a controlled flow. Then, the energy is funneled by the soul to the desired destination. Because of the dangers involved in handling volatile aetherial energy, most Evokers will gather a coating of aetherial gels on the part of the soul that acts as a funnel. This provides insulation against most common forms of energy, including electricity and heat.
Energy pockets are plentiful in several dimensions of the aether, meaning that the limiting factor of this discipline is the volatility of the energy once released. While it is a popular type of soul magic to study, new pupils are frequently warned of the danger that this type of magic can pose to the user.
The Alderian Registry for Magic Restrictions has frequently discussed assigning a threat level to Evocation. The Archmage Council has advised against enforcing such a restriction on multiple occasions. In the words of Archmage Lydia Sorrel, "Attempting to restrict Evocation is simply not realistic. That is not to say it is not a dangerous discipline, of course, but all magic is dangerous. We should not be punishing lay Evokers simply because their form of magic is more obvious in its potential for harm. It would damage the common folk's enthusiasm for magic without making anyone safer."
Telekinesis
Telekinesis is the usage of the soul to exert an aetherial force on a material object. This is most typically used to move objects or prevent objects from moving. Due to its low potential for accidental harm and incredible usefulness in day-to-day activity, Telekinesis is often the first type of soul magic taught in magic schools.
Rending
Rending is the usage of the soul as a direct weapon against the soul of another. This can take the form of either directly damaging the soul or warping the soul's image of the body to cause bodily dysfunction. This can result in severe pain and crippling injury.
The Alderian Registry for Magic Restrictions recognizes Rending as a severe threat. This means that the distribution of written works about this discipline is restricted, learning it from a mentor requires proper certification and licensing, and using it within the borders of any Alderian city is strictly prohibited. The Fairhaven Alliance has not restricted its use, but government officials have stated they "are aware of the potential dangers" and are "keeping an eye on it."
Mending
Mending enables the rapid healing of other creatures with souls. This involves shaping the soul's image of the body to encourage more rapid healing or enable a temporary increase in biological functions. This discipline usually requires a significant amount of time compared to other forms of soul magic, as the adjustments needed for a meaningful medical recovery are often very complicated. More expedited techniques have been developed, but they are met with mixed opinions by Menders.
Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance refers to any usage of the soul to detect aetherial objects. This discipline has been described by Archmage Cassian A. Vindelton as being both the easiest and hardest discipline of soul magic to learn. While basic competency is common, such as the ability to detect other souls, usage of Clairvoyance can extend to an ability to sense past events and predict future events. This is done by reaching the soul out to sense the flow of aetherial objects in dimensions known to be tied to the weaving of the world. By sensing the dispersal or arrival of these objects, certain patterns can be ascertained.
Archsoul Magic
Archsoul magic relies on performing actions that take advantage of the effects of the omnipresent Archsouls. Archsouls are incredibly varied in nature, but they all follow the same structure of trigger and effect.
The effect of an Archsoul is what effect the Archsoul has on the world. These effects vary wildly between Archsouls, but they are always repeatable and consistent.
The trigger of an Archsoul is what must be done in order for the Archsoul to perform its effect. This can be any action or state of being. For instance, the Gravity Archsoul is triggered by an object having mass. The Agnite Archsoul is triggered by a sphere of electrum accelerating. The Waterspout Archsoul is triggered by a specific pattern of thought being maintained between the brain and the soul. Because Archsouls are omnipresent, this trigger can always be performed the same way regardless of location.
While all facets of the universe are controlled by Archsouls, the usage of the term Archsoul Magic refers specifically to performing rituals that invoke non-Physical Archsouls (such as Gravity, Mechanics, Entropy, and similar). It also does not refer to the imbuing of non-living items with properties that take advantage of such Archsouls.
See Archsoul Domains? for a listing of known Archsouls as well as their limitations, overlaps, and associated theologies.
Enchantment
Enchantment can be considered an applied form of the other types of magic. It relies on the effects caused by inanimate object that interact with Archsouls and/or the aether. This can come about naturally or artificially.
Natural Enchantment
Earthquakes
Earthquakes that take place near arcokinetic fault lines are known to be colossally more dangerous than normal earthquakes. These fault lines are marked by the presence of high quantities of volatile materials such as calaverite and aguilarite, as well as the presence of certain seismetic crystal structures. When severely agitated and pressurized in an earthquake, such materials can react with Archsouls to create powerful aftershocks or release other effects such as aetherial microshard poisoning that can spread up to 10 kilometers.