Magic

Supernatural Powers

Supernatural Powers, "Magic", is granted by the Elder Dragons to specific individuals; it is not hereditary, although the Dragons may appear to favor a family or another for magic power. In Asmythe that magic can manifest in two different ways: "Dream magic", the magic of life and change, or "Arcane Magic", the magic of energy and movement.

Supernatural powers are very rare in Asmythe. Only about one in a thousand humans have the potential to wield arcane or dream magic. Elves are ten times more likely to have Dream magic, and ten times less likely to have arcane magic; and the reverse for dwarves.

Dream Magic

The Elder Dragons sleep and dream and those dreams can affect the world. Some people have dedicated themselves and learned to become part of those dreams and through the dreams affect the world.

Dream magic is the magic of life and mind of thought and living things. It can not affect non-living things directly. Humans and Hobgoblins who have mastered the ability to walk in the dreams of dragons find they can affect the emotions of others and even cripple or heal other people. Outsiders can not do any kind of Dream magic, only those native to Asmythe and living in the dreams of the Elder Dragons are able to affect those dreams. Anything animated by arcane magic can be affected by dream magic, because the outsider animating the object is a living entity.

Nobody knows why Dream magic can not affect non-living things. Some speculate that the Elder Dragons only dream of living things, and therefore can not "see" non-living things in their dreams. Others speculate that while life only takes days or years to change, rocks take centuries or millennia to change and that the Elder Dragons dream of these things but nobody has been able to maintain a connection to the dreams long enough to affect them.

Those who can work Dream magic use meditation and mental focus to effect change. Dream magic works slowly and requires considerate concentration and meditation to work.

Arcane Magic

The Ilthura were masters of the planes, able to summon energy and outsiders from the expansive Cosmology of Asmythe. Some people have the ability and dedication to learn how to use the language of the Ilthura and though the symbols and structures of that language summon energy and elementals into Asmythe. Arcane magic is the magic of moving energy and elementals from another plane into Asmythe, it can not directly change anything in Asmythe.

Arcane magic can channel elemental energy directly, creating short term effects, or it can bind an elemental to an inanimate object, creating a long lasting connection to elemental energy. Elementals are as varied and animal life on Asmythe, simple elementals can be used to create "dumb" and weakly powered objects and advanced, intelligent elementals can be used to create autonomous machines or animate the dread.

In the cosmology of Asmythe there are conceptual planes of thought and emotion. Through Arcane magic it is possible to summon a Fear Elemental, or a ball of Blissful energy; but it is not possible to instill those emotions directly into living things.

Sometimes arcane magic disrupts the AEther that surrounds and protects the cosmos. When the AEther is disrupted by arcane magic is becomes more difficult to use arcane magic. Depending on how badly the AEther is disrupted that could mean that only spells of the same element are more difficult, or that all spells are more difficult; and the effect can last for hours, days, or years in extreme cases.

Those who work arcane magic use symbols and language to effect change and thus require some kind of "spell book" to reference when using magic. The language of the Ilthura can not be memorized.

Elven Druid Magic

The Ilthura themselves mastered both kinds of magic. But they did not rely on the dreams of Elder Dragons, they were able to alter living things directly through their own power. Some of that power was given to the Elves in the First Age. During the Second Age this power diminished and thee elves learned how to access the dreams of the Elder Dragons. They developed their power into a mastery of nature. Elven priests are able to affect how plants grow and to talk to animals.

Druidic magic is slow and tactile compared to how humans use magic. Druids must be able to touch and manipulate the subject of the magic and they prefer to use ritual magic to create long lasting effects.

Dwarven Alchemy Magic

The dwarves that have master Arcane magic are able to empower and animate their devices by empowering them with elemental spirits. To the other races of Asmythe this looks like advanced technology, although in reality it is much less reliable.

Worldbuilding Note: Dwarven magic resembles Steam Punk technology, like that found in Girl Genius.

Goblin "Sorcery" Magic

Hobgoblin sorcerers can use arcane or dream magic but have little understanding of its use or capabilities. They have raw magical power that they can manifest but don't have the knowledge to generalize their power to the wide variety of uses that human clerics and wizards developed. Ritual magic requires knowledge and expertise beyond the ability of most sorcerers.

Rituals and Enchantments

Rituals are spells that create long lasting effects.

Arcane rituals can be used to bind an elemental to a non-living thing and imbue it with an elemental/emotional aspect. Enchantments are as dangerous and complex as the elemental used to create them, so they tend to be rare and treasured. They are often heirlooms and always have a story behind them.

Use Tolkien as an example; there is no "sword +1", instead there is "Fang" and "Goblinbane".

Limitations

Arcane Magic Arcane magic is the ability to summon energy and outsiders from other planes.

• Can create, summon, or destroy energy and things.
• Can move, levitate, or teleport things.
• Can create illusions that exists without an observer.
• Can enchant an object.
• Can acquire information about something nearby without inspecting or "talking" to it, by asking an outsider.
• Can create an "anti-magic" effect on an area or non-living thing.

Dream Magic Dream magic is the ability to change living and natural processes.

• Can affect the mind and emotions of creatures.
• Can cause or cure wounds, diseases, and curses.
• Can change the shape or physical characteristics of a living creature.
• Can create illusions in the mind, especially ones that provoke an emotion.
• Can create persistent effects.
• Can detect and disenchant a persistent magic or enchantment.
• Can acquire information about something nearby by inspecting it closely or "talking" to a living creature.
• Can create an "anti-magic" effect on an area or living creature.

Exceptions Magic is the manifest power of the Elder Dragons and can do many impossible things but there are a few things that it can not do.

• No kind of magic can transmute/change non-living things, or change living things into something not in its nature.
• No kind of magic can change the flow of time or move anything through time.
• No kind of magic can permit creatures of Asmythe to exist on any other plane of cosmology; the creatures of Asmythe are composed of essence from all planes and moving them out of Asmythe would remove part of their essence and destroy them.
• No kind of magic can bring a creature back form the dead, or even communicate with a dead person. When something dies it is lost forever.