#WorldBuildingMagic

[pandoramusicbox]

Theory of Elements

This is the oldest recorded theory of magic. it is known that this is the way dragons think of magic. so this theory of magic tends to show up in minor ways all throughout any continent that dragons found themselves. in most modern days the elemental theory is more an accessory to other more prominent theories that are in certain regions. though in some regions elemental theory is the prominent ideology for any number of reasons. in the deeper parts of rajunas its often found due to its simple nature.

(the ideas involving Elemental theory are still wip)  *magic in music box is of the softer variety ** theory here is more used in the vain of philosophy or hypothesis as opposed to scientific theory bases of elements - magic is energy and energy can never be created or destroyed only change form (rule of magic in setting

- Dragons believe mainly in the elements theory as along with their fire they seem to have control of other elemental forces.

- Mergo often has the theory of elements as a secondary theory, where it is surprisingly more prominent in the north region of ins-qua-rî

- Ruajunas often uses elemental theory the further south one travels. its common in the titans basin past the glass desert.

- kaliwafitsus main ideology is that of elemental theory. they believe there are eight elements.

- the elements in kaliwafitsus ideology are as follows; Wind, lightning, fire, light: dark, water, grass, and earth .this choise of elements is due to the influence of the dragon 

-theres a large debate on how many elements there actually are. this debate is ongoing with the smallest estimates being two to four and the largest placing the numbers into the hundreds -in the years leading up to and right after the witch wars science and magic started to run experiments on substances and began identifying their equivalent of the periodic table, which is useful and has expanded the use of Archna (aka science magic) but also renewed an interest in the theory of elements that had been out of practice since the dragon hunts.

- common inclusions of elements include but are not limited too: fire, water, air, earth, ice, lightning, sound, sands, crystal, metal, plants, light, shadow, calcium, poison, life, acid, steam, thought, blood, and void.

[stalwartsteward]

Worldbuilding Wednesday - Magic Edition

// I kept wanting to partake into these, and I kept not getting any questions, so I kept losing my inspiration to do it -- BUT NOW. I’ve decided to take things into my own hands, and offer my own two cents on the magical nature of some things.

To make it easier for me (and probably for others), I’m doing these in Q&A format, because it’s the best way I can work as. Disclaimer that these are my headcanons, and I am open and willing for discussion, debate, questions, feedback, etc etc.

Let’s start with something easy, then - something I already had a discussion about today.

What is the difference between Rune Magic and standard magic?

Rune Magic is the name given by the Runeterrans to encompass all things related to the natural magic that builds up their magic - for all intents and purposes, it is the most intense, pure and primal aspect of magic that belongs to this planet.

Rune Magic is also the school of magic which employs the well-known Runes to simulate the effects that the world’s magical firmament does. The logic behind it all is to understand that Runeterra is formed out of layers of magical firmaments and geographic strata - this proves that magic is deeply meshed into the very world’s core, and justifies how everything that is born, living and dying on its surface also contains something magical in its essence.

Runes are basically the juxtaposition of these various magical firmaments that create a certain effect - which, more often than not, can reflect on the surface of the world (think of anomalies, like firestorms in the middle of the Freljord, or a patch of snow in the middle of the Shuriman desert - these are the results of a particular pattern being formed between two or multiple energy lines that form the ‘weave’ of the magical firmament.

‘Standard’ magic - or what I call modern magic (magic studied and developed in the last 3-4 decades) is the off-shoot of Rune Magic, having been diluted, fragmented and reshaped so many times to the point that it has lost its original intensity and power, yet has shown a great adaptability both in terms of effects, and the people who can use them.

TL;DR: Rune Magic is basically tapping into the energies that have formed the world, pulling at the weave of magic that hold it all together and use it for near-godlike effects. Standard magic is an individual’s ability to tap into their personal mana well and manipulate it to their desire, in varying effects.

How does Magic Resistance work?

This is probably still a WIP-theory, but the way I see it, magic resistance is an object’s capability to react (or fail to react) to whatever magical effects is being thrown its way. Magic resistance is basically a field of null-magic: as in, absolutely no magic in that area whatsoever, which is a result of consuming and burning the remaining energy in that area until there is no more mana to consume - and therefore, nothing left in that area’s composition to react to magic.

To give an example, everything is magical for as long as it can be influenced by magical effects (burn it, freeze it, lift it - if it moves, it’s magical). A rock that does not react to any of these effects - best described as a ‘fizzling’ effect to the spell when it reaches the point, like the spell is either being repelled, consumed on contact or even continuing undisturbed in its trajectory  - is an object that has complete magical resistance.

Creating magic resistance is a very exhaustive process in which the creator works to purge all the energy from an item (or even a person), to the point that any spells thrown its way has nothing to react to, and is effectively nullified. Complete 100% magic resistance is impossible to achieve while on Runeterra - as mentioned above, being a magical world, everything that has ever come from its surface is, by nature, magical - and for the time being, it continues to regenerate at a steady pace while the magical firmaments are in place and power.

Hence why it’s more time-productive to create ‘placebo’ magical resistance - effects that help combat spellcasters through various effects; some examples are the ‘lightning-rod’ effect (absorbs the energy of a spell, thus putting out its initial effect with the mana contained for different, later use), deflection (sends it back where it came from), displacement (spell goes from point A to B), destruction (energy is expended in equal quantity or more in order to clash with the spell, thus making it detonate earlier - and effectively destroy it).

Is there a difference between sorcerers and wizards?

Of course there is! Just as there is a difference between a cat and a dog. They’re both pets, but they function in different ways, don’t you figure?

A sorcerer/sorceress is an individual whose mana pool is naturally unlocked, and is capable to tap into it unhindered, whether they acknowledge it or not. They are the naturally-talented spellcasters and generally have a much easier time doing magic than others. However, there are disadvantages to this - it is incredibly easy for a sorcerer to push themselves well past the capabilities of their mana well (as they are not entirely aware of its depths, just as they are not aware of how much air their lungs might hold at a specific time), and as such are more prone to burn themselves out or even kill themselves due to over-exertion. There is also the issue that their talent is practically woven in their instincts, and can be easily stimulated by intense emotions - a sorcerer is prone to let out mana when infuriated, which can have different effects depending on situation/personality/education/etc ... but it’s generally a really bad thing when you ‘accidentally’ set your friend on fire because they stole your sandwich you were really looking forward to eat.

A wizard (gender-neutral term, can be used for both genders as it is a ‘newer’ word) is an individual that has put effort and dedication into unlocking their mana pool before jumping into the spell-casting business. You would think that they have it a little bit harder, and in a way, you are right - it takes a lot of willpower and effort to finally get an understanding on how to tap into it, but when it happens, wizards generally have an easier way in understanding how spells work, and thus are capable of mastering a more diverse repertoire of spells, from various schools of magic.

In Runeterra, I would say that the ratio is ... for every sorcerer, there are 4-5 wizards. Magic has become a more ‘open-minded’ / acceptable / broader field of study, and as such there are more individuals who are willing and working to manipulate the energy of the world, than those who have it naturally.

Sorcerers and sorceresses are usually born due to an intense magical presence during the conception/pregnancy - if either parent was a sorcerer/ess, or if the mother lived in a highly-magical area. There is also the possibility to become a sorcrer/ess after being born, if an incredibly potent/mana-heavy spell was cast in the vicinity of the child, though this opportunity comes to a halt when the individual reaches adulthood (17-20 years).

// ... That’s all I have for now. My inbox is always open for questions, feedback, critique, etc etc etc. I’m also open for discussions on Skype/IM if that’s more comfortable for you. I actually had fun writing this - I just wish I had more questions I had to work my way to answer ...

Food for thought, hm?