rewriting-fairy-tail

[rewriting-fairy-tail]

Thinking about writing a fic about Laxus' exile from Fairy Tail as an incredibly self indulgent exploration of finding oneself based on my own experiences with autistic unmasking

Is this anything?

[rewriting-fairy-tail]

Celestial Spirit Magic - New System

Celestial Spirit (CS) magic in Fairy Tail has some... unfortunate implications that are never really addressed. Spirits are summoned via keys that are bought and sold to anyone with the cash for them, and the Spirit seems to have no choice but to create a contract with them, whether they agree with the wizard's morals/methods or not. So much so that having a wizard that actually cares to fight alongside her Spirits rather than using them as cannon fodder/shields is considered an anomaly.

As it is in the series, we basically have the wizard equivalent of slavery in CS magic. Cool. Even though Lucy is a kind master, she is still their master until she decides she doesn't want to be anymore.

~~~

In my new system, Spirits work quite a bit differently. Firstly, there are only 88 keys to match the number of constellations - no duplicates of silver keys. Secondly, and more importantly - the Spirit chooses the wizard, and they are able to leave whenever they want. So it's in the wizard's best interest to treat their Spirits well, lest they lose the one thing giving them power in the first place.

Spirits have their own caste system, based on their general level of power and also their "species" - animal spirits are all in their own class, expect for the Zodiac animals who are in a league of their own. More to come on the specifics of the caste system later.

Each Spirit has the ability to move in between the human world and the Spirit world on their own, and stay there for some length of time. Most silver key Spirits are able to spend a day or two in the human world before they need to retreat back to their home to recharge, while the most powerful Zodiac Spirit might be able to spend years in the human world before they begin to feel drained.

Making a contract with a wizard gives a Spirit far more freedom and power, since they connect with the wizard's well of magic. Thus, most silver key Spirits come to the human world with the express purpose to make a contract.

To make a contract with a wizard, all a Spirit needs to do is give their key to the wizard in question, with the express intention to make a contract. A Spirit cannot be forced to make a contract they don't want to, and their key cannot be stolen by another to make a contract either.

Most Spirits have their own criteria they want their wizard to have before they choose to make a contract. Some value intelligence, while others value raw strength, and others might value courage or ingenuity or kindness or any number of traits. To find a human with their desired quality, the Spirit will pose a test to prospective wizards. An animal Spirit looking for a kind wizard might take an injured physical form on the side of a road, waiting to see if anyone will stop and help. A Spirit looking for a clever wizard might create a puzzle with an unorthodox solution. Most of the time, these Spirits are not visibly identifiable as Spirits by the naked eye, and might only chose to reveal themselves after the test is complete.

In their true form, Spirits are uncanny in appearance, but in all forms they are uncanny in temperament. Interacting with them makes it obvious that there is something very not-human about them, even if visibly there is nothing different to them that they can identify. Spirits also don't have morals the same way a human does - they don't necessarily care about killing or stealing or if they're on the "right" side of a human conflict, so long as their chosen wizard meets their desired criteria.

In present day Fairy Tail, Celestial Spirit magic is considered a pretty weak form of magic - not only is it a Holder type magic, which carries it's own strong weaknesses compared to the more powerful on average Caster magic, but CS magic relies on the whims of a creature who isn't able to be fully controlled by the wizard, which makes it seem flaky and unreliable.

In practice, this reputation is partially true since most Spirits looking to make a contract are pretty weak, since the stronger a Spirit is, the less incentive they have to tie themselves to a wizard no matter how good they are. As such, most Guild Wizards have never fought against a Key Holder with actual offensive Spirits, and most consider it an accessory magic at best that can perform a few party tricks, but certainly isn't viable as a main form of magic for a professional wizard.

[rewriting-fairy-tail]

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This blog is for all of my thoughts, feelings, and new worldbuilding / character work I'm developing for Fairy Tail, a series that is near and dear to my heart despite how frustrating it is at times.

I'm always open to discussions about the series, as long as they're approached with respect on both sides. I'm also happy to elaborate on any ideas posted here if you want to see more!

Notes about my knowledge of Fairy Tail;

I have read through the entire manga once as the final chapters were coming out in 2017

I have watched the anime up through the Tartaros arc once, and rewatched through the GMG arc many times

I have not read/watched 100YQ, nor do I have any desire to as the little I've read on the wiki makes my blood boil :)

I do consult the wiki on occasion, but I am also not too concerned with keeping many details the same as canon

Masterlist to come!