Magic in MythCraft: Difference between revisions

The five Sources of Magic are inseparably linked. When This multiverse was created, the six creator gods used the Fundamental Wellspring to create matter, energy, and spirit.

The Fundamental Wellspring is as essential to the workings of the multiverse - and as esoteric and difficult to explain - as gravity or wind. One can feel gravity’s effects, or see the rustling leaves when wind blows, but actually explaining what wind or gravity is can prove difficult for one who is not specifically learned in such matters. The Fundamental Wellspring is much the same. It is a spark of absolute energy, of tremendous power and splendor, and of spirit and consciousness. It radiated outward through the multiverse in its inception. This Fundamental Wellspring causes matter and energy to interact in strange, unpredictable ways; in short, the Fundamental Wellspring allows magic to exist in all its forms.

Essence is the stuff of souls, the mental and spiritual waves pulsing out through the cosmos as a result of the Fundamental Wellspring. A spiritual energy that washes through the Celestial Sea in great currents, Essence comes together when a new living being is born. Over the course of the being’s life, their experiences and decisions might generate more Essence - the more change they instigate in the world, the greater the amount of Essence they create - so that when a creature dies, their soul departs greater than the sum of its original parts. The Essence of the deceased returns to the Celestial Sea and remains intact for some time - weeks, months, or even a couple years - before it begins to deteriorate, swirling through the endless expanse until it is drawn into a new living organism.

<u>'''[[Arcane]]'''</u>''':''' The Arcane Source is the physical energy produced by Fundamental Wellspring itself. Casters that use [[Arcane Magic|arcane magic]] tap into the Fundamental Wellspring, using its mind-melting power to bend the world in accordance with their whims.

<u>'''[[Divine]]'''</u>''':''' The six creators are not the only gods in this multiverse. Indeed, they have an almost entirely hands-off approach to this particular iteration of creation, leaving the mundane affair of governing the multiverse to the deities born within it. Many deities exist within this multiverse, and they use [[Arcane Magic|Arcane magic]] beyond the scope of that which any mortal could hope to achieve. Mortals that use the [[Divine]] Source enter into a willing agreement with one or more deities to gain access to a sliver of that deity’s power. These agreements might be contractual in nature, or a devout worshiper might gain access to magic as a reward for their piety.

<u>'''[[Primal]]'''</u>''':''' Some of the ambient magic released by the Fundamental Wellspring coalesced into a single plane within the multiverse. Acting as a self-recharging battery, this plane’s magic eventually grew and evolved until it was distinct from [[Arcane Magic|arcane magic]]. This became the [[Primal]] Source of magic, originally contained within the plane known as the Everwilds. The Everwilds became the home of the fae and embodies three major aspects of existence: natural life, [[weather]] phenomena, and the height and depth of sapient emotion.

<u>'''[[Psionic]]'''</u>''':''' While primal and divine magic can be traced back to [[Arcane Magic|arcane magic]], the [[Psionic]] Source is altogether different. While [[Arcane Magic|arcane magic]] comes from the Fundamental Wellspring’s physical energy, psionic magic comes from the Fundamental Wellspring’s spiritual pulses. Psionic magic is the manipulation of one’s own Essence to impose their will on the world around them.

<u>'''[[Occult]]'''</u>''':''' Like psionic casters, those who use the Occult Source deal in the power of Essence. However, rather than training and enhancing their own Essence, an occult caster will steal slivers of Essence from planar entities of tremendous power. Deities and similar creatures often do not immediately notice when trace amounts of their power are stolen, as this is infinitesimally small from their perspective while it gives significant power to the [[thief]]. However, occult casters must tread carefully, for if their thievery becomes known, the consequences are often dire.