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Magic System Of Axis Earth

Haven't decide yet what to call magic/psychic abilities in-story, I imagine it'll vary from region to region. Such abilities are quite common in this world, to the point where it slows technological progress due to there being less need. I'll apologize now for the lack of paragraph spacing, I'm on a flip phone, so I'll try to keep it clear and concise and stick with generic psychic terms for now. Dx So here goes nothing. Auras: Everyone and everything has one, it's simply an electromagnetic field, and some people can sense it more than others. Telepathy: A powerful ability to sense auras and thus the energy emitted by the brain. Telekinesis: Manipulation of auras to change matter, easiest with small objects, larger requires more energy and molecular level requires more focus, can be performed without sensing auras but usually sucks. Pyrokinesis: Control of auras on the molecular level, creating friction and heat. Clairvoyance: The ability to see outside linear spacetime.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Permit me to straighten this out for clarity:

Auras: Everyone and everything has one, it's simply an electromagnetic field, and some people can sense it more than others.

Telepathy: A powerful ability to sense auras and thus the energy emitted by the brain.

Telekinesis: Manipulation of auras to change matter, easiest with small objects, larger requires more energy and molecular level requires more focus, can be performed without sensing auras but usually sucks.

Pyrokinesis: Control of auras on the molecular level, creating friction and heat.

Clairvoyance: The ability to see outside linear spacetime.

Pretty much the core of my magic system as well, such as it is. Pyrokinesis is known, but not common, and telekinesis is an indicator of a mage with true potential. Most wizards have the ability to manage the others you list, once properly trained.

I did toss in a few extra disciplines:

Metabolic (Healing) Magic: Manipulation of bodily functions, can put a person to sleep, or greatly increase speed/strength. Also 'faith healing' for want of a better term. Used in a negative manner, a sort of 'curse' or even 'death spell.' Very advanced - beyond the ability of all but a very few human mages: shape alteration. Healers are highly sought after, though many mages have little skill here.

Teleport: Advanced discipline allowing for instantaneous transport.

Illusions: About half sleight of hand/smoke and mirrors, about half using other talents to fool perception. Common, but considered low class.

Summoning: Because I am a fan of Lovecraft, and because a lot of ancient world magic revolved around learning the 'true names' of demons, spirits, and gods, to gain control over these entities and have them do the mages bidding. Known but Outlawed in my worlds. Usually ends up with the wizard becoming the demons agent.
 
Yes thank you so much for straightening that out! :) There are other abilities as well, most not listed are a bit more uncommon, the exception being summoning and communicating with spirits. Just didn't have enough room. Requires the ability to sense auras and possibly some degree of clairvoyance. Pyrokinesis is tricky, because channeling the large amount of energy to toss around massive objects is one thing, but sensing the aura around individual molecules and having the focus to manipulate it is a whole other challenge. It comes about a bit more naturally to firekin, who have weaker auras than elves or humans, but more energy is also required for higher temperatures and those able can also control larger objects. As for teleporting, there are legends that powerful clairvoyant pyrokinetics can disappear in flashes of light, but attempts usually result in spontaneous combustion. Healing can only be used to promote cell growth, not kill pathogens or break down toxins.
 

trentonian7

Troubadour
You said "healing can only be used to promote cell growth, not kill pathogens or break down toxins." What if I caused your body's cells to rapidly grow and reproduce, shutting down your vital processes in a tactical, rapid cancer?
 
Was actually considering that and some jerk will probably do that at some point. Haven't worked out "healing" (as that clearly may not always be the case) a whole lot, but I have decided that it's a form of molecular telekinesis and can probably have a wide variety of dark and interesting effects. Also wondering what other forms of molecular telekinesis may be possible. I'm not the best at physics, so ideas are welcome.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
I view the healing end as the mage convincing the patients body to heal itself at a turbocharged rate, not so much a direct manipulation. Such turbocharged healing does make the patient weary, though.
 

trentonian7

Troubadour
"I view the healing end as the Mage convincing the patient's body to heal itself at a turbocharged rate, not so much a direct manipulation."

But you're treating the human body like a single, intelligent entity. The brain doesn't heal your wounds, your cells reproduce to replenish the dead ones- the cells are programmed to do so. In order to heal, say, a severe gash, you would essentially have to speed up the reproduction of cells in that gash- healing which could very easily result in a tumor. As a wizard aiming to harm, hurt, or kill, I could easily take advantage of this magic in order to rapidly form large tumors around your heart, lungs, or brain, all of which would be lethal. Furthermore, I imagine a healing wizard would need to be careful when actually healing, lest they cause the body's cells to overreproduce as well.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
But you're treating the human body like a single, intelligent entity. The brain doesn't heal your wounds, your cells reproduce to replenish the dead ones- the cells are programmed to do so. In order to heal, say, a severe gash, you would essentially have to speed up the reproduction of cells in that gash- healing which could very easily result in a tumor. As a wizard aiming to harm, hurt, or kill, I could easily take advantage of this magic in order to rapidly form large tumors around your heart, lungs, or brain, all of which would be lethal. Furthermore, I imagine a healing wizard would need to be careful when actually healing, lest they cause the body's cells to overreproduce as well.

Oh, there is focus and training. There is also a high chance of failure. Faith healing and all.
 

Seraphim

Dreamer
Pyrokinesis would have interesting applications in physical state manipulation. From a physical standpoint, we would be looking at the internal energy of material which is just the friction between molecules, or the concept of specific heat, or the energy required to raise an mass of material 1 degree Celcius. It would be up to you to decide what is feasible for a person to do.

For comparison, the energy required to raise a liter of water (1kg) 1 degree Celcius is 4.179 kj/kg*C, so if I wanted to fill my living room+kitchen(50m^3 of space) with steam to make an escape in a smokescreen fashion I would need to boil about 2 liters of water quickly before ventilation clears the room lets say 1 second.(specifics of problem come from steam room science, which says at room temp, water vapor can physically cap at about 5% of total atmospheric concentration). This would require 5180 kJ of energy in one second which is about equal to the amount of energy released in 2.5 sticks of dynamite.

Now this is to say that a person is putting 2.5 sticks of dynamite of energy into the two liters of water. Where does the energy come from? if it were to come from one's own aura, how much energy does an person's aura contain. Also, can energy be taken from the environment in a reverse process? To raise temperature we have to add energy, to lower we would have to absorb.

Here are other examples:

Water has a high heat capacity so its harder to manipulate. Iron requires .45 kJ/kg*C, about tenth of water for the same mass. So if I wanted to raise a 10lb weight iron (4.5 kg) to 100 degrees Celcius, or in this case, raise the temperature in someone's sword to the same temperature of boiling water. It would require 156 kJ or 3% of the energy required of the first example which is about 1/12 stick of dynamite or 4 firecrackers.

To melt a 45 lb iron weight (20 kg) suit of armor, would require 18600 kJ of energy or 9.25 sticks of Dynamite.
 
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