Largias Magic
Magic in the Largias Continent comes from different types of energies being channeled and used for spells. Most magicians can only channel one or two types of energy, though some magical spells can be forced out of any type of energy, and there is such a thing as 'generic' magical energy, unaligned and allowing it to be used for certain types of spells (illusions, barriers), or for less specific and/or powerful versions of magical attacks (such as a magical bolt / fire ball /necrotic blast etc).
Magical Energy Types
Elemental Magic: The ability to channel the core elements of the world, which are balanced by the four gods. This may be as close to divine magic as manipulating magical energy goes, from the layman's point of view. Elementalists can craft spells to allow them to launch flames, breathe underwater, fly, and shape the earth itself, for starters. At higher levels of mastery, hurricanes and even weather manipulation is possible.
Nature Magic: The ability to affect the forces of nature. From plants to animals, including, at higher levels, the ability to shapeshift oneself or others, and even control the weather, summoning storms, snow, or even scorching sunlight. Most Naturalists will focus on bonding with the energy of nature, but those who pursue it to its natural course will be able to craft the whole of nature.
Summoning Magic: The ability to call forth otherworldly beings, mostly from the world, often from other planes, but sometimes from darker areas. Summoners are generally the most likely to create pacts with otherworldly creatures, and often overlap with other magicians (when they summon Elementals, or Demons). While most summoners only focus on calling forth monsters and other worldly beasts, truly powerful ones can call forth almost divine entities with just a few words and the right circle.
Illusionist Magic: The ability to craft falsehoods and lies. Illusions are the formation of magic into shapes and sounds to trick and modify sensory input. Many illusion spells are just sound and sights, but truly powerful illusions are basically reality alteration, affecting all senses and possibly cause genuine harm to the victims. Victims can sometimes be allowed to disbelieve, but there is no guarantee that will affect a powerful illusion. Enhancement spells and detection spells are also under the purview of illusions, due to their affecting senses.
Enchantment Magic: The ability to affect minds and control outcomes and behaviour. Enchantment magic allows for spell-casters to enrapture their victims with charms and sleeping spells, as well as more general mind control and geas-like spells. The true power of Enchantment magic is the ability to turn any confrontation or opponent into an ally, as well as dictate the behaviour of all, friend or foe alike. Most of these spells require items, knowledge, or more details to function well, but with them, the most powerful forms of control are possible.
Locality Magic: The ability to affect space, matter, and time. This is one of the most powerful types of magic, in that it allows for portals, both mundane and extra-planar, as well as instantaneous transportation, banishment (similar to summoning magic), and even slowing or speeding the passage of time, or enhancing or slowing an opponent. It generally takes years of devoted magical study to be able to use most of these spells, and even a long time before basic spells are learned. These spells also affect general movement, such as 'Jump' or 'Levitation' spells.
Spiritualist Magic: The ability to call upon spirits, both of nature, of the restful dead, and of ethereal creatures. Spiritualist magic is a tricky school of magic. It encompasses many different abilities seen across the various other magical disciplines, by channeling the spirits and using their ability to affect things such as the Elements, Location and illusions. Spiritualist magic is also capable of healing, like divine magic, and touches upon Nature and even foresight to a degree, to a truly advanced practitioner. Many different people can use spiritualist magics, but only the most devoted become true seers.
Demonology Magic: The ability to harness the power of demons and other extra-planar beings. Demonology magic is very much like Spiritualist magic, in that using the power of demons can make for many different effects, encompassing most of the other schools of magic, but always with a shade of corruption. Fire called forth will be baleful and any healing done through demonology will cause massive pain, even if the wounds will heal. True demonic spells are generally considerably more powerful than their Elemental or Natural counterparts, but take more out of the caster. Finally, any other school of magic can use demonology magic by offering parts of their souls to receive permanent enchantments.
Metamagic: The Lambach Clan's unique ability to affect magical energy and other magical spells. The manipulation of mystical energy to affect other spells, or generate magical effects of all types. Protection and enhancements are usually associated to Metamagic. The heads of each House of the Lambach Clan is trained in metamagic.
Alchemy: As expected. Transmutation of matter and the creation of artificial life, as well as the creation of mystical items and devices.
Blood Magic: An odd aspect of magical energy in the Largias Continent. Blood Magic is, according to most scholars and Sorcerers, symbolic of most races being spawned from the blood of the gods. With the proper knowledge, Blood can be substituted for any element of any other spell, or simply sacrificed to make a spell much, much stronger. While only Vampires can use magic which controls blood directly, all other mystics are aware that willingly spilling blood, and in some cases, even unwillingly (human sacrifices do exist..), will make a spell stronger, or remove the need for a somatic or even chanted element.
Magic User Types
The various types of people who cast spells, and what differentiates them.
Sorcerer: Spellcasters who use formulas and chants to accomplish magical effects. Sorcerers tend to come in various forms, but generally have access to multiple types of magical energy when casting. Some can become specialists, but the majority of them try to expand the sheer amount of magical energies they can use.
Druid: Druids are the only beings who can use Nature Magical energy, if only because they don't teach others. Druids are generally priestly-types, who have a code of conduct and a set of beliefs about nature and beings' role in it. They tend to be a ritualistic and secretive group.
Shaman: Shamans are the spellcasters who use spiritualism. They commune with spirits, either of nature, the dead, or higher beings. They are attuned to higher planes and sometimes the future and the past. Their methods are crude and unscientific, but their results are there. They tend to be very skilled at most 'types' of magic, channeled through spirits in lieu of magical energy. They can place 'curses' on others, but generally it just means a spirit or spirit type will hate the victim.
Warlocks: Warlocks are magic users that choose to make pacts and deals with demons, as well as use their dark powers to mimic or surpass other magic types. Demonic magic can imitate (and in many cases, outrank) any other type of magic, but usually at a cost. Using Demonic pure magic will cause much more damage than the equivalent in another type, and demonic fire or lightning will have devastating side effects. Curses and hexes are also par for the course in this.
Magical Effects
There are different ways to manifest magic, though all of them require a level of natural talent.
Cantrip: Any kind of spell that is utilitarian. Most spellcasters can generate enough magical energy to make a small, useful effect, like opening a door without touching it, a small wind, a misdirection, etc.
Magic Spell: A spell which requires focus, chanting, and often some sort of movement and/or physical component to be cast. The bread and butter of powerful sorcerers, magic spells are what the layman fears about those who can use magical energy.
Ritual: A type of magic that requires time, effort, preparation, materials, a lot of magical energy, and generally speaking, more than one participant. A ritual allows for magicians of lower power to cast incredibly powerful effects, harnessing types of magic they normally can't, and generally bypassing the 'rules' of spell casting by placing far more restrictions on themselves. Rituals are how the greatest magical effects are caused.
Runecraft: The ability for runes/glyphs (any kind of magical symbol) to carry power. Generally speaking, true runecraft requires a powerful sorcerer to focus his power or spell into a symbol, and place this symbol somewhere, but a properly trained individual can do the opposite, crafting a spell from runes aligned and designed properly. Fortunately, only the learned can possibly attempt this.
Hedge Magic: Hedge magic are the kinds of spells that can theoretically be cast by anyone. The reasons for this are as varied as the spells, but mystical curses, charms of luck or fortune, or lesser runecraft can qualify as hedge magic.
Magical Artifacts
There are not that many real magical items in the world. Several have been made, but to make a long-lasting, actual magical items requires several types of magical energy, balanced together. While several other world that mages have visited have a plethora of magical items, the Largias Continent has very few of these multiple-version items. As such, most mystically powered objects in this world are referred to as 'Artifacts', and the vast majority of 'regular' magical items, if such a term can be used, are imported to this world via planar travel.
While most Clerics and Sorcerers (or Shamans, or Necromancers..) have the ability to enchant or bless any weapon or armor to get some mystical or divine advantage, this is normally temporary, and can be applied to practically anything. The power of such enchantments is not to be underestimated, of course, as many a Frost Giant or other such being has died to a Sorcerer enchanting a blade with the power of flames, but they are almost never permanent. Actually long-lasting magical artifacts in the Largias Continent are noteworthy, named objects, with a history and origin behind them, and claiming ownership on one of them is the mark of a truly powerful adventurer.
Note that this doesn't mean there are only a few such artifacts exist. Several noteworthy warriors have named weapons, and most people have at least heard of them. Healing or other consumable items are relatively commonplace, as any sorcerer intending to make some quick cash can create potions or elixirs to help other adventurers, and Alchemists make their fortune creating salves, potions and other such things to sell to adventurers, or peasants with a sick child. However, it is very unlikely for a random traveler to just come across a named weapon in some beast's lair. If Grudek the Warrior carried the Whispering Wind sword into the cave of a beast, his disappearance would be accompanied with rumors of where that sword could've gone, and people will be curious to find it.
Weapons: The majority of known weapons with mystical powers come in the form of Rune Weapons. Powerful, generally ancient weapons, forged with runes incorporated into them, and fueled with magic of some nature, either divine or otherwise. A Rune Weapon is the mark of an incredibly powerful warrior, and generally when one holds a Rune Weapon, they tend to keep it, as they need power to get one, and then the Rune Weapon increases their power already, creating a self-promoting circle, generally leading to victory. Each Rune Weapon is unique and incredibly powerful, and many of them carry their own will, either by design or from simply being active for so long.
Spiritual Weapons tend to be born from spirits, or enchanted by Shamans from the outskirts of the world. These weapons tend to carry less power, but more protection than the Rune Weapons. Powerful spirits, forged into the metal of a weapon, can make it much more powerful than regular enchantments, and permanently bound to it, though spirits can become dormant for a while, dispelling the weapon's power temporarily. The true power of Spiritual Weapons, however, is that a gifted spiritualist (...or demonologist...) can create one, if they have sufficient power and spirits bound to their will. These are usually created as rewards for powerful warriors, and have their origins mostly in Bagonia, where Barbarians and Orcs dwell.
Divine Weapons are exactly what they seem. These weapons were forged in the name of a divinity, and empowered by said divinity. These tend to end up in the hands or their followers, either Clerics or Holy (or Chaos..) Knights. These weapons tend to serve a very specific purpose, and are linked to the god's power, such as Etar's weapons igniting, and Hynlena's destroying undead. These weapons usually tend to lose their power when their owner dies, or are transferred as a blessing to another devoted member of their religion to continue to serve the cause.
Cursed Weapons are the last kind of weapon which qualifies as 'magical'. In truth, they aren't, but many weapons which have been active for centuries, have seen so much bloodshed, horror, and war, that their existence is now linked to that of the world. A weapon bathed in blood, or used in the slaughter of innocents, or other act of unimaginable evil, will usually get to carry the weight of their sins forever. A truly horrible fate for a warrior is to carry one of these in battle, the sorrow and pain making the weapon unbreakable, but the stigma of wielding it, and the torment of the souls bound to it making it more of a burden to the soul than it's worth.
Armors: Frankly everything said about the weapons applies to armors as well. Rune Armors are incredibly powerful pieces of equipment, forged with Alchemy, Metamagic and powerful Enchantments of various other forms of magic, usually with a series of powerful abilities. These are usually kept within families, as it is exceedingly rare for a person wearing Rune Armor to get killed, considering its purpose. Anyone in a Rune Armor is essentially protected by a magical barrier at all times. There are no 'weak spots' on a Rune Armor, and the exposed face and joints are just as hard to damage as the solid part of the armor. Most of these are also incredibly heavy, and can hardly be carried, but when worn, are as light as a jacket.
Spiritual Armors are considerably more rare than their weapon counterparts. Generally, a bracer or a shield is enchanted, but as the people who use Shamanism or Spiritualism tend not to wear powerful armor, they will usually enchant a single piece of equipment and use its protection somehow, such as a shield or cloak which protects its wielder from flame or the cold, or a belt which can allow them to run like the wind. These are very rare, even by magical item standards, and most do not carry any history, unlike their weapon counterparts. Most warriors commission these by necessity.
Divine Armors are more of a permanent blessing than an actual special ability. Many divine armors will grant their users protection from their gods' element, or, alternatively, for Hynlena and Nemesis, the ability to resist the opposite element. This is a great way for Clerics to truly bask in their gods' power, such as a Cleric of Adia being able to breathe underwater and swim with the fish, or a Cleric of Asnera being able to meditate without distraction in the heart of a storm or hurricane. However, this is usually the extent of their blessings. Armors of Light and Chaos tend to empower their wearers against the other.
Devices: These are rare, but are generally made by Alchemists or Spiritualists, serving essentially the same function. Most of these are seemingly mundane items (clothes, staves, tools) with a mystical ability. These tend to serve a single function, and are made this way by either powerful spells cast into the creation of the item, or with spirits of a particular nature bound to the material of the device. It is exceedingly rare that a person will find a cloak, for example, then bind spirits or cast spells onto it. As such, most of these are created for a one-time purpose, and not sold or traded, unless that was the asking price. Most noteworthy 'Magical Items' found in other worlds are available in this form, but their number is considerably less.
