Magic/energy system

[Elfangle]

Heya all. Ill start by confessing that I am a long time lurker here and just today decided to join you on the forum.

So as to start easy I will start off with an easy subject: Magic systems

As of now the following are just ideas I have in my mind. Been breaking my head over this for a long time and things have changed significantly compared to what I started with.

First lets start by looking at the basic premises of my magic system.

1) Magic = Energy

This one is pretty simple: I hate the word magic and use it because I lack a better description. In my world magic can be seen as the use of energy but that still doesn't cover the whole concept. So for future references it will be called Energy but the real name is still hidden at the moment>

2) There are 2 types of energy

3) White energy is passive. It results from harmony, symbiosis and congruence. It's the result of the positive interaction between all living things (fauna, flora and environmental components such as water and earth). White energy is part of an everlasting proces where all living creatures use it to sustain themselves but also produce it through positive and harmonious interactions.

4) Dark energy is active. Opposite to white energy it stems from chaos and discordance. Dark energy is aggressive and volatile. It is the result of negative interactions such as battles, wars but also discordance in nature such as two tectonic plates crashing into each other.

5) White energy has to be sustained by others because it gets used up. Dark energy is self sustaining. Once created it can never be destroyed.

6) White energy cancels out dark energy when it is dominant in quantity. However when the amount of dark energy reaches a threshold it consumes white energy and gets bigger>

7) Dark energy can be collected using moonglass. The amount of dark energy stored in a moonglass is finite. Once collected, the moonglass will have a constant amount of energy.

The use of dark energy

Certain people are born with an imprint of dark energy. This means that those people can see the pattern of the energy and are able to rearrange the pattern. Every person has a unique imprint and thus can influence the dark energy in his own way. Some will have a fire imprint which allows them to rearrange the dark energy into heat or fire. Other may have a wind imprint, ice imprint, light imprint etc. The amount of possible imprints is endless. Most of the time the discovery of ones imprint is pure coincidence.

However because dark energy is so strong and volatile it is impossible to rearrange 'wild' dark energy. This would result in certain death. The only 'safe' way to practice magic is by using dark energy stored in a piece of moonglass. Another characteristic of dark energy is that is has a memory. This means that if the composition of dark energy in a moonglass is always rearranged in the same way (for example fire or light) it will adjust to this and will be easier pushed in that formation. In the end it will be impossible to use that energy in any other way. Because every person that carries a moonglass has a unique imprint it implies that only that person will be able to use that specific moonglass. The stronger the bond between the person and his moonglass, the stronger the effect will be.

Effect of dark energy

Dark energy has a negative impact on the person using it. It corrupts the very essence of a person and disables his/her ability to create white energy. Multiple use of dark energy leads to organ dysfunction, enduring pain and physical mutations. Basically not something you want happening to you.

Mining of moonglass

The mining, production, energizing (storing dark energy in the moonglass) and distribution of moonglass is completely under the control of one guild. They are scattered across the world and are always looking for moonglass mines and dark energy hubs.

Use of moonglass

Recently charged moonglass has been found usefull in new scientific and technological inventions. By solidifying certain arrangements of dark energy in the moonglass they are used in lighting and heat production.

That's it for now. If you have any questions, remarks of want more information just give me a shout1

Elfangle

 

[Addison]

This sort of sounds like Arcanepunk. (Like steam punk only the magic combines with the technology) which is cool and amazing as not a lot of writers do that. Least none that I've read.

It sounds like you have a solid fix on your magic. You covered the basics to make it real but you haven't explained everything which lets it keep its wonder. Great job.

 

[Elfangle]

Thx! I'm still trying to wrap my head around some issues such as the ability to have more moonglasses for one person. Because of the side effects however it might not be the most peasant thing to do. Still working on those negative effect of dark energy. How bad these things can get and how quickly this deterioration sets in.

 

[SeverinR]

5) White energy has to be sustained by others because it gets used up. Dark energy is self sustaining. Once created it can never be destroyed.

6) White energy cancels out dark energy when it is dominant in quantity. However when the amount of dark energy reaches a threshold it consumes white energy and gets bigger>

I noticed this problem,
Dark energy once created can never be destroyed: Anything that can be created but not destroyed will eventually overwhelm the world. (granted it might take hundreds of years, but it will expand exponentially as it grows, ie there is more to grow from, so it grows faster.)
But the next number says the white and dark can cancel out each other as long as white is stronger then dark, but it seems to me that which ever is stronger prevails but it should act the same up to the point. ie 10 parts white versus 12 parts dark, dark wins out but only has two, rather then dark growing to 12 or more. Cause the white would counteract the dark as much as it can.

Not big problems with the just something to consider.

 

[Elfangle]

I noticed this to after rereading my post.

Ill try to explain it. White energy is self sustainable. Every process in the world uses white energy but at the same time also creates it when the process is harmonious. This means that there is a constant flow of old and new white energy that forms its own system.
Dark energy on the other hand is not used by the world itself. In contrast to white energy, dark energy is inexhaustible and has infinite uses.

Since white energy is constantly recreated it is by far the most dominant type of energy in the world. Dark energy is created whenever there is chaos or discordance. In that case it depends on the strength and amount of dark energy that is created whether it will continue to exist or not. If the dark energy is weaker then the white energy surrounding it, the dark energy will disperse and eventually dissolve. However when the dark energy is stronger then the surrounding white energy it will be able to sustain itself and grow stronger (this happens at a slow pace).

Hope this clears some things up. I'm trying to explain the chaos in my head but it can be a mess sometimes

 

[Athena]

So you only talked about dark energy and it's uses in magic yet...what about white energy?Can white energy also be used to cast spells or are spells in general destructive and magic can only be used if you are willing to take the risk of damaging your body and using dark energy?Also what is moonglass?Is it some sort of gemstone?I mean...I imagined some sort of silver coloured moon-shaped hourglass thing.

 

[Elfangle]

White magic is a passive force, so it can't be used in spells. The idea is that everything and everybody needs it to sustain itself but it cannot be controlled once it is created.

So yes its only dark energy that is used to actually do 'magical' stuff.

Moonglass is indeed a sort of gemstone/rock that needs to be mined. It has a milky white colour with black veins running through. It's special property is that it can absorb and conseil dark energy. How much energy can be stored depends on the size. People that are born with an imprint need to carry a moonglass and so are capable of manipulating the dark energy stored in it. The moonglass can be cut and treated so it suits the requirements of the wearer. For example, there is one guy in my mind that uses an eyepatch with a piece of moonglass in it so he can see dark energy. Another person might have a armlong gloves with smaller pieces of moonglass etched in it so that the strength in that arm is multiplied.

 

[shangrila]

This sounds really cool, nice work. I like the whole turning magic into a commodity angle as well, though if I could make a suggestion? I'd make the dark energy exhaustible. Basically, the more you would use it, the faster it would dissipate and, perhaps, any chaotic action done using dark energy would create less dark energy than it would otherwise (just an idea).

I think it would give the guild more power and create more world wide tension, which is always good for a story. Controlling supply and demand could make an interesting story and an even more interesting look at modern consumerism. That might not be what you're looking for though and, in that case, disregard everything I've said

 

[Elfangle]

disregard everything I've said

Never! It would be the dumbest thing ever to do that. The fact is I initially had the same idea as you. So maybe it's a sign that my initial thoughts were correct. I did plan on making the dark energy exhaustible so that people using the energy would have to put in a new moonglass if the energy stored within was depleted. Kinda like putting new bullets in a gun. For some reason however (can't remember it) I decided to take the non-exhaustible road. seems now that was a mistake. Thx for showing me the errors of my ways!!!
The used moonglasses need to be recharged which indeed adds a new level to the business model of the guild (the guild is not called the guild but i haven't come up with a decent name yet).

Your idea about less dark energy being created is allready in implemented in the system in a way. It takes a lot of chaotic actions to create a big enough of dark energy to make it worthwile. Think of things such as a huge battle, a natural disaster. In those cases there will be quite some amount of darkn energy and it will possibly be able to sustain itself. However a normal spell doesnt create nearly enough dark energy to be an issue.



Thx everyone for the input so far. It is much appreciated