Magic
Ether is the force that shapes the New World. Ether flows within everything. It permeates the water, air, and food that sustains all life. A creature’s ability to manipulate Ether, even in mundane ways, is key. Without it, any creature would slowly and painfully perish in the harsh conditions of the New World.
Ether, in its purest form, is usually a pastel-colored liquid or mist. It is often easiest to identify when it concentrates inside the living things that absorb it. Under pressure, it solidifies itself within the beings who possess the greatest concentration of it - these solidified pools of ether form unnatural and parasitic crystalline growths. Folk calls these Ether formed crystals a Phylakardia. (Phy-la-kar-dee-ah), plural Phylakardies (Phy-la-kar-dee-eys).
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The Phylakardia has one job: to keep its host alive at all costs. Ether is the lifeblood of the new world, and it slowly kills anything that cannot absorb it. A Kit Folk’s phylakardia is external at first, giving it ample space to absorb mass amounts of Ether. This Ether both keeps the Kit alive and allows the Phylakardia to grow and harden. This energy is reflected in a Kit’s eyes, which mimic the hues of the Ether that grows within them. This color usually leaves a Folk’s eyes once they’re grown, as the power within them has more uses.
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Since the natural hearts of a Folk do not process Ether, their hearts die shortly after birth. The Phylakardia of a Folk takes over circulating the Folk's ether-rich blood, and slowly moves into and absorbs their heart once the phylakardia has fully hardened and matured. This allows the adult Folk to manipulate Ether to produce a desired effect.
This desired effect is called Magic. A Folk’s control of magic can greatly depend on their age, health, and experience. Until a Folk’s phylakardia has completed its process of fusing with the heart, magic control is unpredictable. An exposed Phylakardia's main job is to absorb as much ambient Ether as possible to ensure the survival of its host, not to control the Ether within them. This stage of Phylakardia strengthening makes magic nearly impossible (or very unreliable) for a Kit to control.
TYPES OF PHYLAKARDIES
In Folk, healthy phylakardies will adhere to a certain set of rules.
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Irregular phylakardies are viewed with concern and suspicion.
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Color Irregularities
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If your Folk's phylakardia changes color, it indicates contact with either a Blight or unnatural magic. If your Folk's phylakardia changes shape, their Subspecies will change.
MAGIC SLIPS AND MAGIC SURGES
It is not common for a Kit to be able to perform proper magic, but when they are, the result is called a Magic Surge. Kits with Magic Surges can perform a single actual spell with varying levels of power, and will have this spell mastered by adulthood. Magic Surges tend to be hard to control, often acting when the kit has periods of high emotion or incredible focus.
When kits that do not have a Magic Surge try to use magic, it can result in a Magic Slip. A Magic Slip has a wild, unpredictable effect based on the type of magic the kit was attempting to cast. A Kit is never able to control the outcome of a Magic Slip, but thankfully Magic Slip spells cannot channel enough Ether to be particularly harmful. Once a Folk reaches adulthood, and ether properly fills their body, magic can be harnessed in a skilled manner. Folk channel this ether in many ways, and techniques can vary depending on the school of magic they study. |
A SHORT HISTORY OF WILD MAGIC
When the largest super colony, Aurora Forest, was destroyed centuries ago- almost all information about magic was lost. The magic used today was passed down from generation to generation, recorded from great, great, great grandparents who learned from their great, great, great grandparents, and so on. However, it is a fraction of the power a Folk is able to hold. Aurora Forest was a city built by Warlocks - those who were Chosen walked the streets without fear, and used their magic without any regard to nature itself or the creatures which lived within it, disturbing the very foundation of their homes without care.
With Aurora Forest destroyed, only Wild Magic was left behind. A collection of spells remembered for their utility and the ease with which Folk learned them, Wild Magic became a tool. Folk no longer used magic for the pursuit of magic itself, but instead only for survival. When a need arose - such as farming for a Colony, attending to the dead, or surviving extreme weather - the Folk used Wild Magic to aid them.
Each Subspecies has their own magic “branch” within the magic tree that they are able to use upon growing up, called “Home Magic”. This type of magic is the most common set of advanced magic used by said subspecies in order to ease their survival in their niche in the New World.
With Aurora Forest destroyed, only Wild Magic was left behind. A collection of spells remembered for their utility and the ease with which Folk learned them, Wild Magic became a tool. Folk no longer used magic for the pursuit of magic itself, but instead only for survival. When a need arose - such as farming for a Colony, attending to the dead, or surviving extreme weather - the Folk used Wild Magic to aid them.
Each Subspecies has their own magic “branch” within the magic tree that they are able to use upon growing up, called “Home Magic”. This type of magic is the most common set of advanced magic used by said subspecies in order to ease their survival in their niche in the New World.
Witch Folk are the most common type of Folk in Grimsby Grove. They are a combination of all Folk subspecies that came before them, and are the baseline from which all other subspecies of Folk evolve from moving forward. Their subspecies Home Magic spell families are Earth, Healing, Chloromancy, and Necromancy.
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Druid Folk are the next most common type of Folk, and are the closest cousins to Witches. They are genetically closest to aquatic animals, and strive culturally to thrive and be one with nature. Their Home Magic spell families are Transmutation, Water, Healing, and Chloromancy.
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Warlock Folk are the rarest type of Folk in Grimsby Grove. As both punishment and protection, they are unnaturally unable to master the magic of their subspecies despite their natural skill. The younger of generation a Warlock is, the less magic they are able to perform. However, in exchange, they have access to the ancient magic that is only spoken of in frightened whispers. Their Home Magic spell families are Primordial and whatever Home Magic spell families belong to the subspecies they currently are.
USING MAGIC
Just like the variety of magic available to all Folk, there are many ways one may harness it. Each individual learns through dedication, study, and meditation how to best commune with the Ether within their phylakardia.
When an adult Folk casts a spell, their will starts to alter the ether inside and around them. The first visible sign of magic casting is a miasma of Ether manifesting around the Folk's magic focus (paws, wands, staves, etc) that is the color of the Folk's phylakardia. If the Folk has heterochromia, the miasma is either a blend of the two (or three) colors or is split down the focus (IE, left hand is the left phylakardia color while right hand is the right phylakardia color). Shortly after this miasma appears, the spell being cast takes effect.
For some, magic comes easily without the assistance of tools. This can be seen with Folk who use only gestures or words to cast spells. Others need the use of aids such as wands, staffs, and focuses to channel Ether with precision. |
Some Folk find the easiest way to cast is by focusing Ether through Seals. Seals are geometric patterns involving the symbols of magic and the names of the components of the spell. The advantage of Seals is the ability to combine spell effects into a new creation or imbuing an item with a ready-to-cast spell. The most notable seal even kits know about is the Wyld Seal, the ancient pact a Jarl makes with an Elder Tree in order to sustain its magic. Without a Wyld Seal, Elder Trees can't produce healthy Papou Fruit, repel Predators, or grow to the massive sizes needed to sustain a Colony.
No matter the means, All Folk can learn the same set of spells. If the magic is cast through a Seal, the Seal will glow the Folk's phylakardia as well.
No matter the means, All Folk can learn the same set of spells. If the magic is cast through a Seal, the Seal will glow the Folk's phylakardia as well.
LEARNING MAGIC
Every Folk starts their journey of magic study able to do the most basic spells, which are called Cantrips. Cantrips are the same for all subspecies, and all Folk subspecies start at the same foundation.
While Cantrips are very weak when the Folk is first learning magic, their power scales with the Folk's magical experience. For example: the cantrip Mending can be used to repair small fabric tears when a Folk first learns to use it, but in the hands of a master like Angus O'Possum, most broken objects (such as shredded books, broken furniture, and busted electronics) can be brought back into working condition.
Certain spell families have a minimum level of practice required before they can be attempted - see the Magic Guide for more information.
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To learn further spells, the Folk requires a certain level of magic experience and sufficient learning materials. Thankfully, in Grimsby Grove, access to magic manuals for independent study is free at the Den library. The best and fastest way to learn magic is from a teacher - Folk guided by a professional will always find swifter success than by learning solo unless they're naturally gifted (IE. A Warlock).
Folk afflicted with Blights will struggle with magic - they tire easily from the Blight's tax on their bodies and Ether reserves, and can't maintain spells for long if they aren't feeding on enough Folk blood. They have to work much harder to make the same progress as healthy Folk, and often their studies will result in a theoretical magic specialist rather than a seasoned spellcaster.
Despite this, Blighted Folk should never give up - they, too, can master magic with enough effort and practice. |
MAGIC IN SOCIETY
While there are many trades that do not require magical knowledge, in Grimsby Grove, magical knowledge is a requirement to advance in the Guilds. Magical education is essential for survival in the New World, and most adult Folk are expected to at least know a few non-Cantrip spells depending on their employment. Magic Classes and Seminars are held often at the Guild Halls and with Angus O'Possum, the Grove's current Wild Magic master. However, if you are lucky, you may get apprenticed by a Guild Leader or learn from those who personally apprenticed under Angus O'Possum instead.
To hold public office or a leadership role, a Folk needs to know magic. The more important the position, the more magic they should be familiar with. Guild Leaders are magic masters within their own right, knowing at a minimum all currently known Wild Magic and some magic seen only in subspecies. Den Mothers must also know at least four entire spell families and are also taught some "orphaned spells" - spells whose families were lost to time, but are essential for taking care of Kits en masse.
The main Den Mothers, the Flowers Family (Susan, Nana, and Eeko) are proficient in all known magic in Grimsby Grove, and while they have their preferred spell families, they are capable of taking care of any issue the Den may face. (Eeko, for example, is a master of Necromancy, and while their Vessels are very basic, the vessels are always reliably positive spirits that care for the Kits they are summoned for.) |
Magical Items
Long ago, in the days of Aurora Forest's prime, magically enchanted items were commonplace. But now, much of that knowledge is lost to Grimsby Grove's denizens. Perhaps, someday, the knowledge to imbue objects with magical power will return to us? Until then, Grimsby Grove's denizens have access to only a few types of magical object, with only one being in common use for the public.
Often in the form of portable coinpurses (gotta carry those Pinecones somewhere!) Bags of Holding are created solely by the Promethean Society, as the Folk who immigrated with this knowledge have all passed away. The Promethean Society versions are commonplace, but small, and therefore limited to small to medium items.
Occasionally, a larger Bag of Holding can be found, an heirloom of a bygone age. All Bags of Holding have the same stitching somewhere - an angular heart in a circle, made with Ether-infused thread. |
Distributed by Alice Wonderland to Gravekeepers and Wyld Hunt volunteers, the Gravekeeper's Shovels are incredibly powerful items imbued with a mysterious magic.
The Gravekeepers of the Folk have wielded these tools since time immemorial, as they can safely shatter a Phylakardia and shield the surrounding Folk from Medusa Syndrome. The Shovels reflect something within the wielder, and change shape to meet their needs. The shovels cannot be destroyed, but they also cannot be made. Alice Wonderland has a limited supply of Gravekeeper Shovels that have been passed down for many, many generations. |
Easy to make and simple to imbue with Ether, Magical Foci are wands, staves, and stones that are loaded with Ether and carved with the symbol of one of the Spell Families. While they don't necessarily hold the power of a particular spell, they can be used to aid those struggling to learn magic. They strengthen the spellcasting of the Spell Family they are attuned to.
These Foci are popular gifts for folk with Blights, as their magical nature can ease the burdens imposed by their low Ether levels. The Promethean Society is known to sell batches of these Foci to fund research projects. |
While other, random items are said to exist within Grimsby Grove, like strange tools, they are not known of by common Folk citizens...
Magic is intrinsic to life in Grimsby Grove, and to the Folk as a whole - it's your Folk's birthright! To start learning, visit our pages below, and get involved in the unfolding story of the New World!