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The Elsone Grimoire

#1 · January 30, 2024, 3:02 pm

Quote from B0mar on January 30, 2024, 3:02 pm
The Underpinnings of the Elsone Universe. How Phlotonic MAGIC Works.
The Edren Grimoire
The easiest way to think of it is that Magic is THIS World’s Science, and Engineering. People here still build and engineer things with tools by physical means, and these obey the same Newtonian Physical Laws. Massive objects exert Gravitational pull. An Object in motion will stay in motion, unless an Outside Force is exerted on it. Action and Reaction, Heat or Electrical Charge will flow from an area of Higher Temperature or Negative Charge to an Area of Lower Temperature or Positive Charge.
[Ben Franklin got that backwards actually.] Lightning actually comes UP from the Negative Ground Through the Trees or Objects at Altitude, that it destroys, and into the Positively Charged Clouds.
Here Magic is just another Flow of Energy, like Moving Masses [Kinetic Energy] Gravitational Fields, and Chemical, and Atomic Bonds [Potential Energy, Heat] and Electromagnetic Energy
Like all of them It follows fixed and unbreakable Physical Laws:
Magic Like Energy can’t be Created or Destroyed. It can only be Changedfrom one form into another.
Physical Objects in our World are Energy in another Form. Break the Chemical Bonds in a Piece of Wood or Coal by applying Heat Energy to it. You won’t Destroy it. The Piece of wood Doesn’t Vanish. It is broken down into its Component Parts. The Carbon combines with the Oxygen in the air. The elements in the Wood that can not be Oxidized are left behind, and, in the process, the Potential Energy that was in the Chemical Bonds that held the Wood together is converted into more Heat and Light Energy then it took to begin the Process. The Object has Disintegrated. It has Not Vanished. The Light and Heat Energy is the same as the Potential Energy in the Chemical Bonds that were Dissolved and Oxidized. The Smoke, The Ash, and What is left of the Wood, will weigh as much as the Wood and the Oxygen in the Air used in the reaction.
Really BIG Physical Law- You Don’t EVER Get Something for Nothing There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch - TANSTAAFL Now Energy must-
Have a Source
Can be Collected and Stored
Can be Detected, Conducted, Focused, and Channeled
Can be Converted, Modulated and Released in a controlled Fashion
So Can Magic.
The Difference is this. The Laws of Newtonian Physics that we understand Apply to INANIMATE Matter. With Them you can Control the Form and Flow of Energy, Modify Objects, and Engineer Machines. Magic IS Life.
All Life in the Universe that Edren,and Elsone are a part of is the Source of All Magic.
Living Things are NOT Machines. Soul, or Free Will, or Agency can not come from following a fixed Set of Rules. Magic, unlike ANY other form of Energy, can only be-
Detected, Collected, Focused, Channeled, or USED by Living Things.
It CAN be-
Conducted, Converted, Modulated or Stored by Inanimate Objects. BUT
All such Magical Objects are Inherently UNSTABLE, and Require the Presence of a Living Force of Will to Control. Uncontrolled, the release of the Magical Energy stored in such an Object is unpredictable in Form, and depending on the Amount of Energy can be the Magical Equivalent of a Chemical, or even a Nuclear Explosion.

Types of Magic:
There are Two types Magic that exist in Elsone
Magic of the Ancients [Witches, Artisans]
Blessings of The Divines [Clerics]^[a][b]
Actually, there are Three, but the Everyday Magic of Applied Science, and Mechanical Engineering is Widely Understood, and accepted by Everyone. There are still Craftsmen, Armorers, Weapon Smiths, and Builders. Engineering, Physical, Chemical Mechanical, and Electrical Science are not as advanced, because Many Scientists mistakenly believe the rest of the World should behave like Magic, and be subject to their will. Their search for a “Unified Field Theory” has so far borne little Fruit.
The Two Schools of Magic can Loosely be termed the Clerics, and the Mages.
The Clerics [Elves:] are invested in Avatars. The Divines such as Arsha, Broso, Enja and Thia. The Clerics use these Avatars as Foci to Store, Convert, Distribute, and Control Magical Energy. Modulation, and Application are done by Priests and Priestesses of a Divine who instruct, and encourage their Devout how to Pray for Magic to be applied to Crops, Healing, Birth and Growth of Children, and whatever the Divine is specifically charged with Protecting. In other words Amplifying and Focussing Magic for the Natural Uses it already Exists for. What is not widely understood is that the Worshipers Create, Maintain and are the Source of Power for the Divines.
A Mage would think this is Cowardly, Keeps a large Population of people with their OWN Agency Dependent on an Elite, and has also Created Odes and Meton.
The Mages [Yara:] School May not even be the right term to describe the Yara Mages. Temples and Shrines are the things of Clerics. The Temple of a Mage, especially a Yara Mage and Their “Field of Study” is their own Body. Mages seek Balance and Harmony [at Least Lawful Mages do. ] The Most Extreme View of this is held by the Yara who value Individual Free Will as the Binding Force of Magic. They believe that Reliance on “Constructs:” Tools, Weapons, Machines, and “Social Constructs:” Towns, Cities, States, and Governments, weakens that Will and makes Magic harder for Everyone to use. The Mage seeks the Middle Path, and most Mages feel that only as much Magical Energy Can and Should be used as they themselves can Channel.
In Practice, this means Years, often Centuries, of Individual, Arduous Physical and Mental Training to toughen the Body and Calm and Focus the Mind. It also means that there are few Places, and NO Institutions that will teach young Yara more than the Rudiments needed for them to avoid Hurting themselves.
A Cleric would tell you that the Yara’s contempt of Magical Objects is not shared by Inexperienced or Inept Mages. These “Tinkerers” and “Dablers” rely entirely too much on inherently Unstable and Dangerous Toys. They will also tell you that the Yara are Obsessed with Lineage, and Genetics, and the Most powerful Yara Magic is the Closely Guarded Secret of the most powerful Yara Families.
Given the Reclusive Nature of the Yara, it is understandable that Only a Unique Danger to All of Elsone united the Collective Will of the Yara, to form The Barrier.
Artisans, Engineers, and Scientists: The most Diverse and widely accepted Class aren't a School. They are not, strictly speaking, Magic Users at All. Builders, Carpenters, Farmers, Hunters, Clothiers, and Leather Workers, The Variety of Smiths - Armorers,Tinkers and Weaponsmiths, all the myriad of Artisans, Craftsmen, and Specialists a Complex Society needs. Then there are the Scholars. Specialized Knowledge is their Stock in Trade, and Expanding it is their Goal. Healing, Managing Trade Routes, and Supply Chains, Teaching and Training may pay the Bills, but pushing back the Limits of what is known, and what can be known is what they do.
This Class of Scientists and Explorers are the “Poorest Swordsmen” that both the Mages and the Clerics Fear. It is said the Best Swordsman in the Land, doesn’t fear the Second Best Swordsman. They Fear the Worst, because They don’t KNOW what they can and cannot do. They are Chaotic, and Unpredictable.
Many Highly Intelligent Scientists, and Talented Artisans are the Living Embodiment of:
“A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing.”

Magical Artifacts and Machines:
Crystals and Catalysts- There are varieties of Matter, usually found together, in Clumps, Veins, and Debris thrown up by Volcanic Activity. Some are as Common as Quartz or Granite, some less so, and about as rare or valuable as Metallic Ores, Semiprecious, and Precious Gemstones. The Rarer Varieties are rare because the are normally too deep for Surface Mining [Part of the “Bones of the World.”]
Normal Metallic and Crystalline Ore can be used to Collect, Transport, Convert, Modulate, and Store Mechanical, Electrical, or Thermal Energy. A few are Unstable [Radioactive] and Actually a Source of Thermal Energy. Almost all affect Magical Energy as well After it is Manifested.
Normal Energy can be Conducted, Converted, Modulated or Stored. By Artifacts composed of these Materials that act as:
Levers, Wheels, Springs and Gears, [Mechanical Energy]
Conductors, Semiconductors, and Insulators, Capacitors, and Batteries. [Electrical Energy]
Compressors, Radiators [Thermal] , Turbines and Generators [Mechanical-Electrical]^[c][d]
Many of the Same Materials, or Their Analogs can do the same things to Magical Energy and-
The Creation of such Constructs depends only on Materials and Skill, and not at ALL on any detailed Knowledge, Training, or Experience with exactly What Magical Energy IS.
It is Life Force Itself.
Magic Energy can and is used by any living thing. Food and Water are necessary because they use other forms of energy to move, and adapt to the World around them.
In Another Sense Magic Energy is Formless [Un-Manifest] It is produced By and Attracted to All Living things^[e][f].
UNLIKE Heat that is drawn to the Absence of Heat; Electrical Charge that is drawn to the Absence of Charge; The surrounding Matter that will be drawn to fill a Vacuum, Magic Energy is drawn by Life.[ It works "Backward" more like Gravity.]
This is highly Theoretical, but the best understanding of it is that Magic [Life] Energy is drawn by the presence of Living WILL, of Intent.
If a Herd of Animals passes by Intent on moving in a Particular Direction that Intent is "Fueled" by the Energy being sucked along behind them in a Wake. A skilled Mage can not only see that wake, at some distance, They can use their own Force of will to Disrupt it. The Herd will Stop, Confused, until the Mage ceases to interfere, and the Herd Alpha reestablishes the Direction of Travel.
All this happens because the Magic Energy is redirected [Modulated] but not Changed in Form [Un-Manifested.] To change the Form that Magic Energy Manifests requires a Catalyst.
Magic Energy can and is used by any living thing. Food and Water are necessary because they use other forms of energy to move, and adapt to the World around them.
In Another Sense Magic Energy is Formless [Un-Manifest] It is produced By and Attracted To All Living things.
UNLIKE Heat that is drawn to the Absence of Heat; Electrical Charge that is drawn to the Absence of Charge; The surrounding Matter that will be drawn to fill a Vacuum, Magic Energy is drawn by Life.[ It works "Backward" more like Gravity.]

Catalysis, Containment and COST
Magic Energy in it’s “Raw” [Unmanifested] Form is Produced by Every Living Thing in Minute amounts, but it is Attracted to Concentrations of Living Things in exactly the way Large Dense Collections of Matter exert Gravitational Attraction on All Other Matter around Them. Like all other forms of energy exchange this is not 100% Efficient. The Animal that pulls the Cart, must Eat to have the Energy to do it.The Weight of what is moved by the Cart Presses down on the Axles, and the Hubs of the Wheels that are Attached. The Artisan Wheelwright will tell you the Axles must be Greased, or Much of the Energy that the Draft Animal applies to the Cart will be converted into Heat, and the Cart will Tear itself Apart, or may even Catch Fire.
Based on the best Available Experimental Observations THIS is still Highly Theoretical, and Hotly Debated: Unlike it’s closest Analog, Gravitational Force, the effect of Magical Force is unaffected by distance from its Source.
This would seem Paradoxical since the Intensity of Magical Energy is the Same Everywhere, but it is More Concentrated near Dense Collections of Life.
Another way to say almost the same thing, that is Even More Controversial, is that this “Formless Energy” has no real Existence until it is Manifested into some form of Actual Energy by an Act of Will by a Living Thing.
This Debate is for better Minds than Mine. It never fails to give me a Splitting Headache.
The point is that Once Magical Energy has been Focused, Modulated, and Manifested as another Form of Energy that Energy is subject to the Same Rules as Any Other.
There is a “Friction Loss” a Conversion Cost that is Reflected on, and Absorbed by the Entity doing the Conversion.
Catalysis can occur in a number of ways:
A Concentration of Magical Energy [a Natural outcropping of Raw, unrefined Crystal, common in Mountainous Areas produced by Volcanic activity comes into close contact with a LIVING SENTIENT Mind, untrained or unable to Shield their Thoughts.
A Concentration of Sentient Life [Town] or Semi-Sentient Life [Heard] with Purpose [Migration, Flight from Predators, or Fire]
In its Crudest, and most Dangerous Form These Manifestations take the form of Panicky Mob Behavior or Stampedes. There is a third, and By Far the most Dangerous of Uncontrolled Magic Manifestations. That is the Misuse or Abuse of Magical Artifacts.
Before we head down THAT Rabbit Hole, there is on other aspect to all this: Cost.
The Energy of the Draft Horse must move the Weight of the Cart, the Weight of the Cargo, It’s own Weight, and overcome the Friction of the Cart Wheels on the Axel, in order to move the Cart. There is No such thing as a Free Lunch [Magical or No.]
For every Action there is an Equal and Opposite Reaction. ^[g]You may have seen a Child’s Toy - A Wooden Frame with 5 Metal Marbles, suspended in a Row, hanging from it. Grasp one Marble, bull it back, away from the others and let go. It will strike the 2nd Marble in the row. The first 4 Marbles in the row will remain stationary, and the 5th will fly away the same distance you pulled back the 1st Marble. Do this with the first 2 Marbles. They will strike the 3rd, and the First 3 Marbles will remain stationary. The Last 2 will fly away. Try it with the first three Marbles, and something interesting happens: The first 2 Marbles in the row remain stationary, and the Last 3 Fly away.
Few, if any Collisions between Objects are this “Elastic” [or Efficient.] In many cases some of the Energy of the Collision is converted into Heat.and Noise. Some of the Energy is absorbed by BOTH Objects as Damage.If you wield a Sword, or Mace, against another Sword or Armor you know what that feels like in your Muscles and Joints. This is why Warriors, even those wielding an Axe or a Dagger, wear Bracers.
The notion of Momentum is important to all Motion, or Energy Exchange. It requires Energy to Start a Mass in Motion. It requires Energy to Stop It’s Motion. It is no Different for the Mage and the Animal Herd. The Mage must overcome the Momentum. The Mage gets Feedback, no different then you do in your Sword Arm, and must overcome not just the Will of the Alpha, but, initially, the Entire Herd. Since the Process, like everything else, is NOT 100% efficient, there will be wasted Energy, and for Both the Mage and the Herd there will be Damage
EVIL Magic and Blood Magic
The Notion of “Black” or “EVIL” Magic is Mistaken. Raw Magic [Unmanifested Phlotic Energy] is Formless, and Completely NEUTRAL. It makes even Less Sense than speaking of Good Heat, Deceitful Lightning, or Evil Gravity.
However for Phlotonic Flux to have ANY Effect, It must Manifest [Be Changed Into] Another Type of Energy, or Form [Matter, Usually Living Matter.] Phlox Can ONLY be Manifested by the Force of Will [Intent] of a Living Soul.
Most Creature’s, Phlotic Manifestations are Entirely Instinctive. Grow or Heal are Completely Neural-Good. The “Spark of Life” Manifests Spontaneously, [whenever a Viable Zygote is Produced.]** For Sentient Creatures, INTENT Can Absolutely Be Good OR Evil !!
It WILL Affect How The Phlox Manifests, and How Much, and What Kind of “Taint” will be Left Behind.
Taint Exists because the Process of Phlotic Manifestation, like Anything Else Is Not 100% Efficient. If Phlot Manifests as Heat, or Motion, The Taint is Light and Sound, or Friction and Inertia. What most People refer to as Taint is The Tarry or Chalky Black, or Brown Residue
that Results from Inefficient Manifestation of Living Tissue.This Substance LOOKS Evil, but actually, If the Intent is Pure [Like Growth] It can Actually have Healing Properties.
If the Intent is a Curse, The Taint Residue can be TOXIC.
Any Manifested Phlox is Tainted .As a result of This:
Yara, and Other Mages, Train for Years, or Centuries, to “Quiet The Mind,” and Suppress ANY Emotional Component of Their Intent. You can not have Angry, or even Hopeful [Fearful] GOOD Intent. This not Only helps Minimize the Feedback They have trained Physically to Endure, It helps Boost the Efficiency of Channeling The Phlot, and the Usefulness [“Purity”] of the Taint. They call it Residue
Clerics have a Different Problem with the Purity of the Phlox They Channel with Focus Artifacts. Ambient Phlotic Flux will be Swept Along to the Focus, and will, Slightly improve the Efficiency of the Process. The Phlox that is released and Directed at the Focus, by the Will of the Priestess, and the Prayer of the Devout is NOT Raw.
Each Individual Acolyte of the Priestess’s Flock has already Manifested and Stored that Energy as Living Tissue.
It can be Released Again, by an Effort of Will [Prayer,] and Absorbed, without Manifesting, by the Focus of that Prayer.
The Intent, when the Raw Phlox was Absorbed was Instinctive, and Largely Neutral [Growth, Healing.] creates little Residual Taint that isn't Thrown Out with the Bath Water.
__________________________________________
** - The Fertility Problems of the Yarra are the Result of Millenia of “Tinkering” to “Enhance” The Process
The State of Mind, when it is Again Released IS a Concern!
The Priestess will tell her Flock that They have already Confessed Their Sins, She Understands Their Need, and Knows how to Help Them. They must Pray to the Holy Relic, without Thought of Self, or Personal Desire. They must Trust Her to see That They receive the Devine’s Grace.
It is also why you Will Rarely, or EVER see a Priestess Touch, let alone Wear, a “Holy Relic,” like Thia’s Crown, while Prayer is Directed at It.
Blood Magic
Curses or Blood Magic are Universally Reviled by Artificers, Clerics, Mages, and Scholars!
It is the Province of the Practical, Work-a-Day, Lawfully Chaotic, [“Ethical”] Assassin.
Study of Blood Magic is Forbidden, It IS, Without Exception, an Empirically Derived, “Home Brew” Artifact or Potion. In ALL Cases, There MUST Be a Physical Component of the Cursed Focus, that LINKS It to Its Specific Intended Target.
Cursed Artifacts, and Weapons:
Gazing Rhino's Notes
[a]we need a third/fourth kind,
Black/Dark/Blood magic which is considered forbidden for everyone to practice and seriously enforced. We may have a "Holy" Order (eg- Templar for witchcraft) for that.
Also need to rename 1 it can be called "Mages", cause it's a popular generalize term for everyone deals with magic.
[b]Mage and Cleric are Terms of Respect.The Popular [Derogatory] Terms:
The Clerics call the Mages "Witches."
Mages refer Derisively to Clerics as "Artisans" and "Tinkerers."
The Popular [Neutral] Term is Sorcerer, or, More Often, Sorceress.
[c]If we add this type of things, then story will become mixed reality that I personally don't like... it's kinda hard to explain. I'll try...
Gunpowder weapon in early middle age - like used in warhammer universe > I totally dislike this concept.
Same goes for robots, airships or any advance scientific invention in medieval setting.
If it's run by magical energy then it should appear as such (e.g golem)
The era setting and scientific advancement should be similar to 1200 ce or before.
[d]Remember the Level of the Discussion Here. This is a Framework for How Magic Behaves and Saying it can be Channeled and Controlled, by Substances that BEHAVE like Conductors, Semiconductors, Insulators, Doesn't Mean that Anyone in This Society would Call them That, or have Any Theoretical Understanding of How They Worked! Technological Applications are Entirely Empirical. There is No Coherent Theory that has Developed that explains WHY or even HOW it Works. That is Why this Society has Advanced Metallurgy, and still Use Candles, Torches. Brazers, Horses, and Ox Carts. Saying that Magic Energy Behaves According to Our Laws of Thermodynamics Doesn't Mean the Scientists and Theoreticians have the First CLUE What Those Are! They are engaged in a Search a "Grand Unified Theory" That explains Why Magic Energy behaves the Way it Does, when it Manifests as Any Other Form of Energy or Matter, It Does NOT. Good Luck with That, When You Consider All Physical Objects to be Composed of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, in some Combination. and All Heat Energy to be a Physical Substance called Plogiston.
[e]does this means everyone can be mage? that will complicate thing in lot of ways.
there should be a potential factor which decide that not everyone is created equally. being with higher magic potential may be a mage if they trained(eg Yara, they are born with very high magic potential, they are very few in number so there shouldn't be a major impact), can be related to the blood line, this can also have a society wide effect such as cast system.
My point is everyone can be battery of magic but everyone can't be a mage - it should be a talent that can't be possessed/channeled/used by everyone, but few can and they are selected and trained for the control of this talent.
[f]Agreed! This is Exactly What I AM Saying. As you Say any Living Thing Can Absorb Phlotic Energy. Growth and Healing Are INSTINCTIVE. The "Spark of Life" Happens, Spontaneously, Whenever a Fertilized Zygote is Present to Receive It. This is Low Level Phlotic Flux that is Present Everywhere. It is absorbed SLOWLY, an Manifests as Living Tissue.
Higher Ambient Flux that is Drawn to Cities and Gatherings is Actually. Physically Painful To Yara, and Other Sensitives. An Elvish, or Human Priestess, can Direct the "Flow" of Her Flock's Devotions though a Focus [an Artifact, like Thia's Crown,] Each of the Devout, would't Notice, Later, that They were Shy a Few Grams of Body Weight. Touching the Artifact, while It IS a Focus, would be Painful, for an Elf, Fairly Unpleasant for a Human, and Potentially FATAL for an Untrained Yara. So Absorb Magic-Yes, Store Magic-Yes, Wield Magic?
Absolutely NOT!

Addendum Gazing Rhino's Notes:

The Underpinnings of the Elsone Universe. How Phlotonic MAGIC Works.

The Edren Grimoire

The easiest way to think of it is that Magic is THIS World’s Science, and Engineering. People here still build and engineer things with tools by physical means, and these obey the same Newtonian Physical Laws. Massive objects exert Gravitational pull. An Object in motion will stay in motion, unless an Outside Force is exerted on it. Action and Reaction, Heat or Electrical Charge will flow from an area of Higher Temperature or Negative Charge to an Area of Lower Temperature or Positive Charge.

[Ben Franklin got that backwards actually.] Lightning actually comes UP from the Negative Ground Through the Trees or Objects at Altitude, that it destroys, and into the Positively Charged Clouds.

Here Magic is just another Flow of Energy, like Moving Masses [Kinetic Energy] Gravitational Fields, and Chemical, and Atomic Bonds [Potential Energy, Heat] and Electromagnetic Energy

Like all of them It follows fixed and unbreakable Physical Laws:

Magic Like Energy can’t be Created or Destroyed. It can only be Changedfrom one form into another.
Physical Objects in our World are Energy in another Form. Break the Chemical Bonds in a Piece of Wood or Coal by applying Heat Energy to it. You won’t Destroy it. The Piece of wood Doesn’t Vanish. It is broken down into its Component Parts. The Carbon combines with the Oxygen in the air. The elements in the Wood that can not be Oxidized are left behind, and, in the process, the Potential Energy that was in the Chemical Bonds that held the Wood together is converted into more Heat and Light Energy then it took to begin the Process. The Object has Disintegrated. It has Not Vanished. The Light and Heat Energy is the same as the Potential Energy in the Chemical Bonds that were Dissolved and Oxidized. The Smoke, The Ash, and What is left of the Wood, will weigh as much as the Wood and the Oxygen in the Air used in the reaction.
Really BIG Physical Law- You Don’t EVER Get Something for Nothing There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch - TANSTAAFL Now Energy must-

Have a Source
Can be Collected and Stored
Can be Detected, Conducted, Focused, and Channeled
Can be Converted, Modulated and Released in a controlled Fashion

So Can Magic.

The Difference is this. The Laws of Newtonian Physics that we understand Apply to INANIMATE Matter. With Them you can Control the Form and Flow of Energy, Modify Objects, and Engineer Machines. Magic IS Life.

All Life in the Universe that Edren,and Elsone are a part of is the Source of All Magic.

Living Things are NOT Machines. Soul, or Free Will, or Agency can not come from following a fixed Set of Rules. Magic, unlike ANY other form of Energy, can only be-

Detected, Collected, Focused, Channeled, or USED by Living Things.

It CAN be-

Conducted, Converted, Modulated or Stored by Inanimate Objects. BUT

All such Magical Objects are Inherently UNSTABLE, and Require the Presence of a Living Force of Will to Control. Uncontrolled, the release of the Magical Energy stored in such an Object is unpredictable in Form, and depending on the Amount of Energy can be the Magical Equivalent of a Chemical, or even a Nuclear Explosion.

Types of Magic:

There are Two types Magic that exist in Elsone

Magic of the Ancients [Witches, Artisans]
Blessings of The Divines [Clerics]^[a][b]

Actually, there are Three, but the Everyday Magic of Applied Science, and Mechanical Engineering is Widely Understood, and accepted by Everyone. There are still Craftsmen, Armorers, Weapon Smiths, and Builders. Engineering, Physical, Chemical Mechanical, and Electrical Science are not as advanced, because Many Scientists mistakenly believe the rest of the World should behave like Magic, and be subject to their will. Their search for a “Unified Field Theory” has so far borne little Fruit.

The Two Schools of Magic can Loosely be termed the Clerics, and the Mages.

The Clerics [Elves:] are invested in Avatars. The Divines such as Arsha, Broso, Enja and Thia. The Clerics use these Avatars as Foci to Store, Convert, Distribute, and Control Magical Energy. Modulation, and Application are done by Priests and Priestesses of a Divine who instruct, and encourage their Devout how to Pray for Magic to be applied to Crops, Healing, Birth and Growth of Children, and whatever the Divine is specifically charged with Protecting. In other words Amplifying and Focussing Magic for the Natural Uses it already Exists for. What is not widely understood is that the Worshipers Create, Maintain and are the Source of Power for the Divines.
A Mage would think this is Cowardly, Keeps a large Population of people with their OWN Agency Dependent on an Elite, and has also Created Odes and Meton.

The Mages [Yara:] School May not even be the right term to describe the Yara Mages. Temples and Shrines are the things of Clerics. The Temple of a Mage, especially a Yara Mage and Their “Field of Study” is their own Body. Mages seek Balance and Harmony [at Least Lawful Mages do. ] The Most Extreme View of this is held by the Yara who value Individual Free Will as the Binding Force of Magic. They believe that Reliance on “Constructs:” Tools, Weapons, Machines, and “Social Constructs:” Towns, Cities, States, and Governments, weakens that Will and makes Magic harder for Everyone to use. The Mage seeks the Middle Path, and most Mages feel that only as much Magical Energy Can and Should be used as they themselves can Channel.
In Practice, this means Years, often Centuries, of Individual, Arduous Physical and Mental Training to toughen the Body and Calm and Focus the Mind. It also means that there are few Places, and NO Institutions that will teach young Yara more than the Rudiments needed for them to avoid Hurting themselves.
A Cleric would tell you that the Yara’s contempt of Magical Objects is not shared by Inexperienced or Inept Mages. These “Tinkerers” and “Dablers” rely entirely too much on inherently Unstable and Dangerous Toys. They will also tell you that the Yara are Obsessed with Lineage, and Genetics, and the Most powerful Yara Magic is the Closely Guarded Secret of the most powerful Yara Families.
Given the Reclusive Nature of the Yara, it is understandable that Only a Unique Danger to All of Elsone united the Collective Will of the Yara, to form The Barrier.

Artisans, Engineers, and Scientists: The most Diverse and widely accepted Class aren't a School. They are not, strictly speaking, Magic Users at All. Builders, Carpenters, Farmers, Hunters, Clothiers, and Leather Workers, The Variety of Smiths - Armorers,Tinkers and Weaponsmiths, all the myriad of Artisans, Craftsmen, and Specialists a Complex Society needs. Then there are the Scholars. Specialized Knowledge is their Stock in Trade, and Expanding it is their Goal. Healing, Managing Trade Routes, and Supply Chains, Teaching and Training may pay the Bills, but pushing back the Limits of what is known, and what can be known is what they do.

This Class of Scientists and Explorers are the “Poorest Swordsmen” that both the Mages and the Clerics Fear. It is said the Best Swordsman in the Land, doesn’t fear the Second Best Swordsman. They Fear the Worst, because They don’t KNOW what they can and cannot do. They are Chaotic, and Unpredictable.

Many Highly Intelligent Scientists, and Talented Artisans are the Living Embodiment of:

“A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing.”

Magical Artifacts and Machines:

Crystals and Catalysts- There are varieties of Matter, usually found together, in Clumps, Veins, and Debris thrown up by Volcanic Activity. Some are as Common as Quartz or Granite, some less so, and about as rare or valuable as Metallic Ores, Semiprecious, and Precious Gemstones. The Rarer Varieties are rare because the are normally too deep for Surface Mining [Part of the “Bones of the World.”]

Normal Metallic and Crystalline Ore can be used to Collect, Transport, Convert, Modulate, and Store Mechanical, Electrical, or Thermal Energy. A few are Unstable [Radioactive] and Actually a Source of Thermal Energy. Almost all affect Magical Energy as well After it is Manifested.

Normal Energy can be Conducted, Converted, Modulated or Stored. By Artifacts composed of these Materials that act as:

Levers, Wheels, Springs and Gears, [Mechanical Energy]
Conductors, Semiconductors, and Insulators, Capacitors, and Batteries. [Electrical Energy]
Compressors, Radiators [Thermal] , Turbines and Generators [Mechanical-Electrical]^[c][d]

Many of the Same Materials, or Their Analogs can do the same things to Magical Energy and-

The Creation of such Constructs depends only on Materials and Skill, and not at ALL on any detailed Knowledge, Training, or Experience with exactly What Magical Energy IS.

It is Life Force Itself.

Magic Energy can and is used by any living thing. Food and Water are necessary because they use other forms of energy to move, and adapt to the World around them.
In Another Sense Magic Energy is Formless [Un-Manifest] It is produced By and Attracted to All Living things^[e][f].
UNLIKE Heat that is drawn to the Absence of Heat; Electrical Charge that is drawn to the Absence of Charge; The surrounding Matter that will be drawn to fill a Vacuum, Magic Energy is drawn by Life.[ It works "Backward" more like Gravity.]
This is highly Theoretical, but the best understanding of it is that Magic [Life] Energy is drawn by the presence of Living WILL, of Intent.
If a Herd of Animals passes by Intent on moving in a Particular Direction that Intent is "Fueled" by the Energy being sucked along behind them in a Wake. A skilled Mage can not only see that wake, at some distance, They can use their own Force of will to Disrupt it. The Herd will Stop, Confused, until the Mage ceases to interfere, and the Herd Alpha reestablishes the Direction of Travel.
All this happens because the Magic Energy is redirected [Modulated] but not Changed in Form [Un-Manifested.] To change the Form that Magic Energy Manifests requires a Catalyst.
Magic Energy can and is used by any living thing. Food and Water are necessary because they use other forms of energy to move, and adapt to the World around them.
In Another Sense Magic Energy is Formless [Un-Manifest] It is produced By and Attracted To All Living things.
UNLIKE Heat that is drawn to the Absence of Heat; Electrical Charge that is drawn to the Absence of Charge; The surrounding Matter that will be drawn to fill a Vacuum, Magic Energy is drawn by Life.[ It works "Backward" more like Gravity.]

Catalysis, Containment and COST

Magic Energy in it’s “Raw” [Unmanifested] Form is Produced by Every Living Thing in Minute amounts, but it is Attracted to Concentrations of Living Things in exactly the way Large Dense Collections of Matter exert Gravitational Attraction on All Other Matter around Them. Like all other forms of energy exchange this is not 100% Efficient. The Animal that pulls the Cart, must Eat to have the Energy to do it.The Weight of what is moved by the Cart Presses down on the Axles, and the Hubs of the Wheels that are Attached. The Artisan Wheelwright will tell you the Axles must be Greased, or Much of the Energy that the Draft Animal applies to the Cart will be converted into Heat, and the Cart will Tear itself Apart, or may even Catch Fire.

Based on the best Available Experimental Observations THIS is still Highly Theoretical, and Hotly Debated: Unlike it’s closest Analog, Gravitational Force, the effect of Magical Force is unaffected by distance from its Source.
This would seem Paradoxical since the Intensity of Magical Energy is the Same Everywhere, but it is More Concentrated near Dense Collections of Life.
Another way to say almost the same thing, that is Even More Controversial, is that this “Formless Energy” has no real Existence until it is Manifested into some form of Actual Energy by an Act of Will by a Living Thing.
This Debate is for better Minds than Mine. It never fails to give me a Splitting Headache.
The point is that Once Magical Energy has been Focused, Modulated, and Manifested as another Form of Energy that Energy is subject to the Same Rules as Any Other.
There is a “Friction Loss” a Conversion Cost that is Reflected on, and Absorbed by the Entity doing the Conversion.
Catalysis can occur in a number of ways:
A Concentration of Magical Energy [a Natural outcropping of Raw, unrefined Crystal, common in Mountainous Areas produced by Volcanic activity comes into close contact with a LIVING SENTIENT Mind, untrained or unable to Shield their Thoughts.
A Concentration of Sentient Life [Town] or Semi-Sentient Life [Heard] with Purpose [Migration, Flight from Predators, or Fire]

In its Crudest, and most Dangerous Form These Manifestations take the form of Panicky Mob Behavior or Stampedes. There is a third, and By Far the most Dangerous of Uncontrolled Magic Manifestations. That is the Misuse or Abuse of Magical Artifacts.

Before we head down THAT Rabbit Hole, there is on other aspect to all this: Cost.

The Energy of the Draft Horse must move the Weight of the Cart, the Weight of the Cargo, It’s own Weight, and overcome the Friction of the Cart Wheels on the Axel, in order to move the Cart. There is No such thing as a Free Lunch [Magical or No.]

For every Action there is an Equal and Opposite Reaction. ^[g]You may have seen a Child’s Toy - A Wooden Frame with 5 Metal Marbles, suspended in a Row, hanging from it. Grasp one Marble, bull it back, away from the others and let go. It will strike the 2nd Marble in the row. The first 4 Marbles in the row will remain stationary, and the 5th will fly away the same distance you pulled back the 1st Marble. Do this with the first 2 Marbles. They will strike the 3rd, and the First 3 Marbles will remain stationary. The Last 2 will fly away. Try it with the first three Marbles, and something interesting happens: The first 2 Marbles in the row remain stationary, and the Last 3 Fly away.

Few, if any Collisions between Objects are this “Elastic” [or Efficient.] In many cases some of the Energy of the Collision is converted into Heat.and Noise. Some of the Energy is absorbed by BOTH Objects as Damage.If you wield a Sword, or Mace, against another Sword or Armor you know what that feels like in your Muscles and Joints. This is why Warriors, even those wielding an Axe or a Dagger, wear Bracers.

The notion of Momentum is important to all Motion, or Energy Exchange. It requires Energy to Start a Mass in Motion. It requires Energy to Stop It’s Motion. It is no Different for the Mage and the Animal Herd. The Mage must overcome the Momentum. The Mage gets Feedback, no different then you do in your Sword Arm, and must overcome not just the Will of the Alpha, but, initially, the Entire Herd. Since the Process, like everything else, is NOT 100% efficient, there will be wasted Energy, and for Both the Mage and the Herd there will be Damage

EVIL Magic and Blood Magic

The Notion of “Black” or “EVIL” Magic is Mistaken. Raw Magic [Unmanifested Phlotic Energy] is Formless, and Completely NEUTRAL. It makes even Less Sense than speaking of Good Heat, Deceitful Lightning, or Evil Gravity.

However for Phlotonic Flux to have ANY Effect, It must Manifest [Be Changed Into] Another Type of Energy, or Form [Matter, Usually Living Matter.] Phlox Can ONLY be Manifested by the Force of Will [Intent] of a Living Soul.

Most Creature’s, Phlotic Manifestations are Entirely Instinctive. Grow or Heal are Completely Neural-Good. The “Spark of Life” Manifests Spontaneously, [whenever a Viable Zygote is Produced.]** For Sentient Creatures, INTENT Can Absolutely Be Good OR Evil !!

It WILL Affect How The Phlox Manifests, and How Much, and What Kind of “Taint” will be Left Behind.

Taint Exists because the Process of Phlotic Manifestation, like Anything Else Is Not 100% Efficient. If Phlot Manifests as Heat, or Motion, The Taint is Light and Sound, or Friction and Inertia. What most People refer to as Taint is The Tarry or Chalky Black, or Brown Residue

that Results from Inefficient Manifestation of Living Tissue.This Substance LOOKS Evil, but actually, If the Intent is Pure [Like Growth] It can Actually have Healing Properties.

If the Intent is a Curse, The Taint Residue can be TOXIC.

Any Manifested Phlox is Tainted .As a result of This:

Yara, and Other Mages, Train for Years, or Centuries, to “Quiet The Mind,” and Suppress ANY Emotional Component of Their Intent. You can not have Angry, or even Hopeful [Fearful] GOOD Intent. This not Only helps Minimize the Feedback They have trained Physically to Endure, It helps Boost the Efficiency of Channeling The Phlot, and the Usefulness [“Purity”] of the Taint. They call it Residue
Clerics have a Different Problem with the Purity of the Phlox They Channel with Focus Artifacts. Ambient Phlotic Flux will be Swept Along to the Focus, and will, Slightly improve the Efficiency of the Process. The Phlox that is released and Directed at the Focus, by the Will of the Priestess, and the Prayer of the Devout is NOT Raw.
Each Individual Acolyte of the Priestess’s Flock has already Manifested and Stored that Energy as Living Tissue.
It can be Released Again, by an Effort of Will [Prayer,] and Absorbed, without Manifesting, by the Focus of that Prayer.
The Intent, when the Raw Phlox was Absorbed was Instinctive, and Largely Neutral [Growth, Healing.] creates little Residual Taint that isn't Thrown Out with the Bath Water.

__________________________________________
** - The Fertility Problems of the Yarra are the Result of Millenia of “Tinkering” to “Enhance” The Process

The State of Mind, when it is Again Released IS a Concern!
The Priestess will tell her Flock that They have already Confessed Their Sins, She Understands Their Need, and Knows how to Help Them. They must Pray to the Holy Relic, without Thought of Self, or Personal Desire. They must Trust Her to see That They receive the Devine’s Grace.

It is also why you Will Rarely, or EVER see a Priestess Touch, let alone Wear, a “Holy Relic,” like Thia’s Crown, while Prayer is Directed at It.

Blood Magic

Curses or Blood Magic are Universally Reviled by Artificers, Clerics, Mages, and Scholars!

It is the Province of the Practical, Work-a-Day, Lawfully Chaotic, [“Ethical”] Assassin.

Study of Blood Magic is Forbidden, It IS, Without Exception, an Empirically Derived, “Home Brew” Artifact or Potion. In ALL Cases, There MUST Be a Physical Component of the Cursed Focus, that LINKS It to Its Specific Intended Target.

Cursed Artifacts, and Weapons:

Gazing Rhino's Notes

[a]we need a third/fourth kind,

Black/Dark/Blood magic which is considered forbidden for everyone to practice and seriously enforced. We may have a "Holy" Order (eg- Templar for witchcraft) for that.

Also need to rename 1 it can be called "Mages", cause it's a popular generalize term for everyone deals with magic.

[b]Mage and Cleric are Terms of Respect.The Popular [Derogatory] Terms:

The Clerics call the Mages "Witches."

Mages refer Derisively to Clerics as "Artisans" and "Tinkerers."

The Popular [Neutral] Term is Sorcerer, or, More Often, Sorceress.

[c]If we add this type of things, then story will become mixed reality that I personally don't like... it's kinda hard to explain. I'll try...

Gunpowder weapon in early middle age - like used in warhammer universe > I totally dislike this concept.

Same goes for robots, airships or any advance scientific invention in medieval setting.

If it's run by magical energy then it should appear as such (e.g golem)

The era setting and scientific advancement should be similar to 1200 ce or before.

[d]Remember the Level of the Discussion Here. This is a Framework for How Magic Behaves and Saying it can be Channeled and Controlled, by Substances that BEHAVE like Conductors, Semiconductors, Insulators, Doesn't Mean that Anyone in This Society would Call them That, or have Any Theoretical Understanding of How They Worked! Technological Applications are Entirely Empirical. There is No Coherent Theory that has Developed that explains WHY or even HOW it Works. That is Why this Society has Advanced Metallurgy, and still Use Candles, Torches. Brazers, Horses, and Ox Carts. Saying that Magic Energy Behaves According to Our Laws of Thermodynamics Doesn't Mean the Scientists and Theoreticians have the First CLUE What Those Are! They are engaged in a Search a "Grand Unified Theory" That explains Why Magic Energy behaves the Way it Does, when it Manifests as Any Other Form of Energy or Matter, It Does NOT. Good Luck with That, When You Consider All Physical Objects to be Composed of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, in some Combination. and All Heat Energy to be a Physical Substance called Plogiston.

[e]does this means everyone can be mage? that will complicate thing in lot of ways.

there should be a potential factor which decide that not everyone is created equally. being with higher magic potential may be a mage if they trained(eg Yara, they are born with very high magic potential, they are very few in number so there shouldn't be a major impact), can be related to the blood line, this can also have a society wide effect such as cast system.

My point is everyone can be battery of magic but everyone can't be a mage - it should be a talent that can't be possessed/channeled/used by everyone, but few can and they are selected and trained for the control of this talent.

[f]Agreed! This is Exactly What I AM Saying. As you Say any Living Thing Can Absorb Phlotic Energy. Growth and Healing Are INSTINCTIVE. The "Spark of Life" Happens, Spontaneously, Whenever a Fertilized Zygote is Present to Receive It. This is Low Level Phlotic Flux that is Present Everywhere. It is absorbed SLOWLY, an Manifests as Living Tissue.

Higher Ambient Flux that is Drawn to Cities and Gatherings is Actually. Physically Painful To Yara, and Other Sensitives. An Elvish, or Human Priestess, can Direct the "Flow" of Her Flock's Devotions though a Focus [an Artifact, like Thia's Crown,] Each of the Devout, would't Notice, Later, that They were Shy a Few Grams of Body Weight. Touching the Artifact, while It IS a Focus, would be Painful, for an Elf, Fairly Unpleasant for a Human, and Potentially FATAL for an Untrained Yara. So Absorb Magic-Yes, Store Magic-Yes, Wield Magic?

Absolutely NOT!

Addendum Gazing Rhino's Notes:

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