An Introduction to Magic In Bromeilles

Magic is an open book, capable of being read by anyone. There are no chosen ones, no genetic gatekeepers of the mystic arts, and although those in positions of power would have you believe otherwise, even the lowliest serf is capable of lifting up a wand and disintegrating their oppressor. The problem lies not in the availability of magic, but in the threats that bubble beyond its surface.

All magic, inherently, is a manipulation of the free forces of the world. It is an act of vicious realignment with one's wishes, with varying levels of ferocity. The primal touch of the Druids is considered the kindest by far.

This violent grasping of the universe is incredibly dangerous, as one might expect, and has taken the lives of thousands who believed that they knew better. They did not. This is why The Twelve Laws were put in place, and every Artisanal School on the continent keeps at least one Lolea on hand; executioners, lest a mage falls too far from grace.

The Occult

Artisanal dictum states that all magic is transmutation. It is the shaping of the molecular building blocks of reality, and all the dangers that they provide. Evocation is the transfer of heat and other energies into malleable states. Conjuration is the formation of pseudo-real things, made from 'sleeping' particles, which inevitably awaken and destroy the projection. Illusion is just the manipulation of the shadows of molecules, like puppets strewn by candlelight.

Every school of magic fits somewhere in this mystical cosmology. The school of transmutation itself is no exception.

The Republic adopted magic into their foundation shortly after The Storm Eternal, seeking resolutions to problems which had never been solved before.

Roberto Gatto

Some would tell you that the late Gisele De Roy introduced the Occult to The Republic. This would be a lie. While the philosopher devoted his life to studying the mystic arts, the imps welcomed mankind to this specific breed of magic. They called it a gift: an opportunity for The Republic to construct and rebuild beyond its potential. Several hives killed communication entirely once they realized the horrors mankind had uncovered with it.

Form & Function

All practitioners of the Occult Artform understand the two primary components necessary for casting: Conduits & Catalysts.

Conduits are things in the physical world that act as transmitters of magic into existence, whether objects or creatures. A machine roars, a wand crackles and snaps, and a fingertip glows with light. From these things, the tedious process is finalized and law is transformed into chaos.

Catalysts, by process, serve as fuel to a conduit's commands. The Twelve Laws dictate that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transmuted into other states. As a result, Artisans must rely on that which encompasses the world itself to create magical effects. This is where most fledgling wizards first learn the harsh consequences of their craft.

Digression: Wizards and other legal practitioners of the Occult in Bromeilles are known as Artisans, and their schools are known as Artforms. They have become a guild of sorts in the social hierarchy of The Republic, and have been granted privileged positions as a result. Artisans are, however, also legally considered a permanent detachment of the military. All who enroll in Artisanal Schools are under strict obligation to the state. Opinions on this policy are mixed.

Anything can be made into a catalyst. Many of the specialized techniques taught at the Artisanal Schools utilize the same components for ease of access. Still, the theoretical limit to what could be used for nearly any spell is close to limitless. Mushrooms wilt and die in one's palms as electricity purrs from their hands. A ball of yarn unravels and pounces at its prey. Teeth shatter in their owner's mouth in a last-ditch effort to survive.

Subschools

All magic refuses to categorize itself by the inherent will of being chaos. It was imps who first began studying the art, but it was Man who pinned hundreds of names and terminologies in an otherwise empty cushion. The concepts of Conjuration, Abjuration, Illusion and Enchantment are mortal concepts, and would otherwise cease to exist in a lifeless world. But it can (and does) appear without intervention in day-to-day life, which only drives Archivists farther down the rabbit hole of madness.

To date, there are thirteen officially recognized Artforms of "significant" occult magic in The Republic; eight of them primary and the other five secondary, along with dozens of smaller, esoteric schools of thought. Many artisans go their entire lives without learning a single technique from half the available forms.

Subschools are subschools not just because of their obtuse rarity and unpredictability, but just how unorthodox they are from the other artforms. It is possible to uncover several overlapping conditions between two primary schools without manipulation. This often leads to only more overlap. The primary artforms are bound together in ways barely comprehensible by the average mind, yet the subschools lie entirely outside this fence. In another world, some of these artforms would be considered primary schools entirely on their own.

A particular artform is often specialized at an Artsininal school, and many Artisans pick other primary schools to serve as their minors. Subschools are almost exclusively learned from a particular location or area of teaching. Hemomancy is almost exclusively taught to Cruorwrought, Ferromancy to witches and hedge knights.