The Mage

Mortal magic is often described as the art of burning. Due to its main principles being the ignition of mana, shaped into form.

Career

Career Progression

The Beginning

In the early stages of their training mages learn to develope their senses, through meditation and observing. While mortals will never be able to see or feel magic on their own, they can start to sense the manas presence around them. If skilled enough they might even be able to tell it's intensity and current character.

By linking their soul to the lesser mana cycle around them they create a so called soul link. In the beginning it is mainly used to channel the mana into their body and their hand, creating a warm sensation. Internalising the channeling and linking process is crucial for the mages safety during advanced lessons. Up to this point all training is done without a tool, to ensure the students safety.

It is also within this stage, that the mage is heavily warned of breaking the taboos of magic. The most important one is the taboo relating the soul link. Should a mage attempt to fully link themselves to the mana cycle or even try to partically do it on open see, would shred the soul and body to pieces. Even the lesser mana cycle is too strong for mortals to manage. Even though that compared to the ocean, no matter how shallow, they are tame. On open sea there stands no landmass or other force in the way of the mana, there is nothing slowing it down. Even the tiniest connection would be riped wide open by the strength and velocity of the malstrom.

The First Spell

After completing the beginner lessons, a mage recieves their first tool. With this they will perform a spell. It is here where the career of many mages finds an abrupt end. It is here where a mage shows, how well they understood and internalised the first lessons.

Only rarely a spell does not go berserk at all, in fact it is encouraged although limited in scale. It serves as warning and welcoming into the world of magic. The first scar is one worn with pride.

Henceforth they will learn all they can about Spectres, creatures born by the spell and cause for spells to go berserk. In order to grow old a mage needs to understand how to controll and if possible prevent their birth as well as protecting oneself from a spell gone wrong. Additionally their curriculum includes everything about mage tools, what materials to use, the runes, how they work and are crafted. Through this and the study of spectres the young mage starts to grow an understanding for their spells unique characteristics.

Magehood

Years of learning have shaped the mages mind, expanded their expertise and formed their magic. As a final lesson they are now tasked to create their own tool. They get as much time as they want. The only requirement is, that every mage does it alone, from it's design to its properties. Once complete the mage will present it to their teacher and show it off by performing a spell.

From here on out a mage starts their own journey. While many remain by their masters side, to learn more and perfect their techniques, others venture out and engrave their name in Luveris history.

Mastery

Each mage as long as they survive will end up aquirring some form of mastery. They will start to build up resistance towards spells, for they start to understand a spells character and the Spectres residing within it.

However only few will ever achieve true mastery, which is to not only understand their own spells but those of others, rendering themselves almost resistant to the power of a spell. An extremly powerful ability, for a mages only defense against spells is knowledge and understanding on a fundamental level. Each spell is different, for each spectre is a different living being, no matter how shortlived.

Operations

Tools

A mages best friend is their tool or weapon. The tools main function is igniting the mana, the mage previously channeld through their soul into the object. Thus also known as fire bringers or igniters.

As such tools commonly take the shape of lanterns, lighters, matches and similar, they are personalised and imbuded with liquified mana, harvested from magical plants or animals.

Although regular heat is not able to ignite mana, through special preperations some mages are able to use external heat sources as primitive tool.

Dangers & Hazards

Becoming a mage is not locked behind rare abilities, it simply requires one to be open minded, have a strong will and good imagination. However most people that delve into magehood on their own, will never make it far. At best, they never succeed and at worst, they die.

Even those who do learn magic under professional guidance are not exempt from a gruesome death, for magic is fickle and every mage has to be aware of that.

The danger of burning mana is not limited to beginners, a spell can at every moment go berserk and turn against its caster. As a consequence of this hazardous nature many mages carry destinctive scars in forms of burns, flames or lightning.

Spells getting out of controll usually have all the same cause, Spectres. Small magic creatures born by magic and in this case by spells. They are spell bound and thus only live for the spells duration, but even in their short livespan, the damage they can cause is immense. Spectres are not evil, they are childish, playful even. They dance with the flames, encourage it to burn ever so brighter, to bloom into spectacular flowers. Especially when facing an opponents spell and its spectres they become very competitive, trying to outperform the other side, leading to even deadlier combinations. Thus it is imperative for a mage to learn to handle these little creature with care, to keep their spells from causing havoc.

Especially when a spell is used to power a machine, the birth of spectres is incredibly dangerous.

Battles

Fights between mages are so unpredictable and risky, that they are avoided at all cost.

If it comes down to a fight after all it is a common strategy to try and influence the others spell Spectres to ones advantage. Particulary to cause the spell going havoc while near it's caster.

Types:

Industrial, Military