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--- westward:world:magic [2019/11/23 07:21] – Add to description of divine magic, including holy symbols and preparation admin
+++ westward:world:magic [2019/11/23 08:17] (current) – Move Divine magic to the bottom admin
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 ====== Magic ======
-All magic is a manifestation of life force, which permeates through all aspects of the natural and supernatural. "Life" in this sense does not refer to being living, but instead its nature as an animated, dynamic, and autonomous. In the body, it is the components of the non-physical - the soul, free will, consciousness, thought, logic, emotion and ki. In nature, it refers to the potential and spontaneity of matter and forces. This natural life force features the same factors of being that a person has - the processes of nature are a result of its life force's will.
+All magic is a manifestation of life force, which permeates through all aspects of the natural and supernatural. "Life" in this sense does not refer to being alive, but instead as an animated, dynamic, autonomous, perhaps even sentient, energy.
-==== Divine Magic ====
+In the body, it is the components of the non-physical -- the soul, free will, consciousness, thought, logic, emotion, spirituality and ki. In nature, it refers to the potential and spontaneity of matter and forces. Nature's life force has the same essence of being that a person has. The processes of nature and physics are a result of its life force's will.
-Divine magic is sourced similarly from life force of the universe, but relates specifically to elemental and essential domains rather than the universal fabric that underpins it. While some scholars argue that divine magic is sourced from the natural world, others argue it is extraplanar. Likewise, some say that energy is sourced directly from deities, who themselves are vast manifestations or vessels of their domain's life force. Others maintain that they simply channel them, pulling them from the natural or supernatural planes and delivering it to their disciples. Some even argue divine magic is entirely atheistic -- that users channel magic themselves through their belief in a divine convenor, justified or not.
-In any case, one's faith in their divine sponsor or domain determines their capacity for divine magic. One must have a deep understanding and comprehension of their deity or domain, so one may discern the richness and depth of their faculty. This may be from an innate grace bestowed upon them, but is more often than not from experience -- immersing oneself in and living according to divine ideals. Secondly, when it comes to casting divine magic, one must be able to sense the presence and essence of their chosen divine lifeforce. They must also firmly believe that, in that moment, it is powerful and ready enough to act in accordance with their will.
-Accordingly, divine casters must act in ways that reinforce their beliefs. Daily ritual (including prayer or meditation) is considered central to remain devoted. Holy symbols are also used to affirm one's faith.
-They are especially important when casting, one can focus on the object to channel their spirituality into their faith. Holy symbols are deeply personal items and often have strong histories, that remind the wearer how their deity or domain has changed their life. However, many insist that holy symbols are not necessary. Some faiths even forbid holy symbols as self-indulgent material possessions, which obscure an individual from the world around them and the real goals of their belief.
 ==== Wizardry ====
 For a wizard to perform an arcane spell, they manipulate and negotiate with the life force of the natural world. When a wizard learns a spell, they make room in their consciousness for natural life force to inhabit it. In doing so, learning spells can shape the personality and worldview of a wizard in immense and possibly detrimental ways.
+Since a spell 'inhabits' the consciousness of a wizard, spells are never really 'learned'. However, they still shape some form of 'understanding' in the wizard's mind. When a wizard sits down to memorize a spell, there is always a moment of clarity, the wizard feels as though they come to a profound realisation about the nature of reality and super-reality. This feeling is the life force of the natural world entering and melding with their consciousness once more. Once a spell is 'cast', the life force of the spell leaves the wizards consciousness gained 'understanding' is lost.
 Once a wizard has shaped part their life force to accommodate a spell, reshaping that part becomes much more difficult. However, as a wizard gains in their abilities, they become much more efficient in how they accommodate spells, aligning compatible spells in similar spaces of consciousness. In this way, over time a wizard is able to learn more spells, and more powerful ones, as their life force grows stronger and better controlled.
-However, there does appear to be a hard limit, the . One can consider spells to operate in the same way that electron orbits work in molecules. Different 'layers', when in a correct configuration, can contain a certain number of spells based on a spells shape and power. However, beginner wizards never use these layers in their optimal fashion, often using multiple layers to accommodate a single spell when starting out. It takes a very advanced wizard to grasp this concept properly, and usually happens as an innate, unspoken understanding, intertwined with doing.
+However, there does appear to be a hard limit to the number of spells to be learnt. One can consider spells to operate in the same way that electron orbits work in molecules. Different 'layers', when in a correct configuration, can contain a certain number of spells based on a spells shape and power. However, beginner wizards never use these layers in their optimal fashion, often using multiple layers to accommodate a single spell when starting out. It takes a very advanced wizard to grasp this concept properly. Even then, it is usually an innate, unspoken understanding, intertwined with doing.
-There is also additional danger in learning a spell in that, if a wizard has not trained their life force enough to accommodate a powerful spell, it may irreversibly damage their life force, in extreme cases disintegrating it, possessing it, or worse.
+There is also additional danger in learning a spell. If a wizard has not trained their life force to properly accommodate a powerful spell, it may become irreversibly damaged, in extreme cases disintegrating it, possessing it, or worse.
-When a wizard sits down to memorize a spell, there is always a moment of clarity, the wizard feels as though they come to a profound realisation about the nature of reality and super-reality. This feeling is the life-force of the natural world entering and melding with their consciousness once more.
 ==== Bardic Magic ====
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 >The same way music approaches another's soul, it approaches the life-force of the universe.  The melody and soul of a bard reverberates into the world, filling reality with emotion, harmony and feeling. If a bard feels the movement of nature around them, the pulsing life of reality, then they may become wary of the universe’s harmonic alignment. They learn the soulful ebbs and flows of the world, and are able to recreate them in their own music.
 >
->In the moment that a bard’s soul resonates with reality, the will of the bard and the will of the universe meet. They come to mutual understanding. From then, the bard may gently lead the soul of universe towards their own intent, spurring the universe to action from their music alone.
+>In the moment that a bard’s soul resonates with reality, the will of the bard and the will of the universe meet. They come to mutual understanding. From then, the bard may gently lead the soul of the universe towards their own intent, spurring the universe to action from their music alone.
 >
 >Thus, not only can bardsong unlock the bard from the constraints of his body and mind. Not only can it free its listeners from the sorrows and vices of their lives. It has the unparalleled power to unlock the very secrets of the universe itself.
+==== Divine Magic ====
+Divine magic is sourced similarly from life force of the universe, but relates specifically to elemental and essential domains rather than the universal fabric that underpins it. While some scholars argue that divine magic is sourced from the natural world, others argue it is extraplanar. Likewise, some believe that divine energy is sourced directly from deities, who themselves are vast manifestations or vessels of their domain's life force. Others say that they simply channel it, pulling life force from the natural or supernatural planes and delivering it to their disciples. Some even argue that divine magic is entirely atheistic -- that casters channel magic themselves through their belief in a divine convenor, whether that belief is justified or not.
+In any case, one's faith in their divine sponsor or domain determines their capacity for divine magic. One must have a deep understanding and comprehension of their deity or domain, so one may discern the richness and depth of their faculty. This may come from an innate understanding bestowed upon them, but is more often than not from experience -- immersing oneself in and living according to divine ideals. Secondly, when it comes to casting divine magic, one must be able to sense the presence and essence of their chosen divine lifeforce. They must also firmly believe that, in that moment, it is powerful and ready enough to act in accordance with their will.
+Accordingly, divine casters must act in ways that reinforce their beliefs. Daily ritual (including prayer or meditation) is considered central to remain devoted. Holy symbols are also used to affirm one's faith.
+They are especially important when casting, one can focus on the object to channel their spirituality into their faith. Holy symbols are deeply personal items and often have strong histories, that remind the wearer how their deity or domain has changed their life. However, many insist that holy symbols are not necessary. Some faiths even forbid holy symbols as self-indulgent material possessions, which obscure an individual from the world around them and the real goals of their belief.
 ==== Magic Materials ====