Magic

Magic

Magic is something that has always evoked feelings of awe, wonder, and caution wherever it might be seen or found. Divine magic has been said to exist since before time began, and has been responsible for many miracles of healing and protection.. as well as events of great destruction and pain. Arcane magic, on the other hand, is a relatively recent discovery from within the city of Atalan, creating a surge of curiosity, study, and even fear or awe. Rumours persist of yet another form of magic being witnessed, said to be from the Beyond, and seen within the hands of cultists during the destruction of Atalan.

Divine Magic

All Divine magic is commonly called a miracle, though often in a way that lacks the reverence one might assume would come with that word. It is always channeled through a Divine Connection to an Overseer. Divine Connections are steeped in mythological and religious traditions, and though there are few Overseers, there is a great degree of variation by which people understand and praise them. Those with a Divine Connection are expected to serve their Overseer first and foremost, acting both as their avatars and as agents of their domains. Those who fail in their role will find that their Divine Connection is gone. Though they may say that their Overseer turned their back on them, in truth, they turned their back on their Overseer.

Notable Changes: Bards are divine casters in this setting. Divine Power has been disabled from the divine spellcasting list. Clerics, Warsancts, and two PrCs are currently disabled due to the events of the Severance.

Divine Traditions

Shamans: Many tribes are well aware of Life and Death, but fail to grasp the notions of Growth and Decay. Shamans find Divine Connections with Leeya and Faergol by officiating life and death, by making sense of the world for their people.

Druids: While Shamans are part of a tribe, Druids seek to become one with nature itself. Through these efforts, one achieves a Divine Connection with a seasonal Overseer. Though one season is praised over another, druids react to all threats against nature - it is provenance of all seasons.

Clerics: Clerics can find a connection with any of the eight Overseers, and it is done through contemplation, prayer, and service. A Cleric places their Overseer above all things. This tradition is thought to have spread across Human lands with the House of Concordant Cycles, an institution that allows its members to forget the world and focus on Overseers. Some few natives of Eramere, however, claimed these Connections before any Human had ever set foot upon the land.

Bards: There are many performers and writers across the lands, each inspired by some facet of the world around them or of life itself. There is no doubt that the Overseers are pleased with the most prolific of these performers, for they are granted a Divine Connection. Some have dared to suggest that it is vain for the Overseers to prize the brightest reflections of their creation, though such may also be the bitter musings of those who lack the passion and talent to capture an Overseers' attention.

Regional Tendencies

Shamans and Druids thrive among Eramere's non-human races, finding places among its tribes and the great expanses between its settlements. Clerics among their people are rare, and they may be labeled as either deviants or iconoclasts in some cases. Shamans and Druids can be found among Human cultures that are part of the Empire yet remain distinct within the larger Halmorian landscape, though they are dying out. The House of Concordant Cycles and their Clerics are winning these Humans over on the mainland, and they are firmly established as the only respectable religious tradition in Halmoria itself. However, Eramere is a long way away from the mainland, and the House no longer has any official presence here.

Arcane Magic

The Discovery

The church of Ephaesus, the deity of Growth, was among the first to tread within the city of Atalan. The Ephaesian Adepts having long been employed as seekers of knowledge, archaeologists, map makers, engineers and linguistic masters. These revered precepts of the Ephaesian church often made its followers highly sought after within any Halmorian expedition, and the one which found the city of Atalan was no exception. As the task force made its way within the abandoned city, it was the Ephaesian Adepts who managed to translate the single word on the monolithic pillar within its heart, giving name to the city.

That wasn't the end of the story however, but simply the beginning. Further study of the obelisk would yield a staggering discovery to the Adepts, for within the twisting inscriptions were the keys to power, the keys to the Arcane. Up until the discovery of the Obelisk the Arcane was unknown to the Old Empire of Halmoria, only the divine power of the Eight was seen within its lands; this enlightenment would now and forever more change that. No such inscriptions have been found elsewhere within Atalan with the exception of a rumour of one sighting deep below the city. Nor have the current translations yielded any clues to the former inhabitants' ultimate fate. Such things remained a mystery, one which the Adepts were hungry to discern. If the keys to unlocking this knowledge were here, would it then be a part of the original inhabitants goals? Or could it perhaps be the cause for their vacancy? The church to this day holds this mystery as their number one priority among the clergy.

Slowly the Adepts labored to master this new form of knowledge, this fount of unheard of power. The Ephaesians guarded this knowledge well and commissioned an academy to be built near the site of the Obelisk, along with the establishment of a proper church nearby. While sponsored by the Ephaesian church, the Academy doors have been opened to all who would apply themselves to the study of the inscriptions, along with the mastery of mathematics, history, linguistics, and exploration; not just those of the faith. However, it is whispered that those who revere the deity of Growth have learned how to combine their new found discovery with the blessed powers of their master into one awe inspiring persona.

Later, the knowledge progressed to a point where those taking upon themselves the mantle of 'Arcanist' became known within Atalan. No longer simply a few Adepts, but a more common sight within the city were those with the knowledge. However what was disturbing to many were of a black market somewhere within Atalan, where those not associated with either the Ephaesian church, nor the Academy, gained possession of Arcane knowledge by slipping coins into the right hands - something the Church struggled for years to stamp out.

Now, with the collapse of Atalan, the Academy and the House, magic has spread even further around Eramere, and perhaps even abroad. Arcane magic continues to be somewhat unstable since the Sundering, however, that does not stop those in search of power or new knowledge.

Each city has its own rules governing the use of arcane magic, and it would do well to heed them, when searching for a teacher or study material.

The Source

Many Ephaesian Adepts have determined that the Obelisk itself, and perhaps by extension of the Obelisk the city itself, act as a focal point for the summation of the Arcane. What is hotly debated currently however is whether or not Atalan 'is' the power source for the Arcane, or if it is simply a channel attuned to a more deeper reservoir of power in an unknown location. Either of these postulations could have far reaching implications, as seen but yet not proving either theory, during the fall of Atalan.

Summoning

Companion Animals, and Druid and Ranger Summoning

Druids, and nature-inclined rangers can summon various creatures and forces of the land to aid them in their tasks. Most often this will come in the form of wild animals who hear their call. Sometimes, they will also be granted an elemental from one of the many Overseers, as well.

Druids and rangers can also summon an animal companion, whom they have formed a relationship with during their travels. The animal that they work with is superior to a normal animal of its kind in many ways, but is still an animal, not a magical beast. The animal is a loyal friend to the druid or ranger, but is not a pet or servant. If treated poorly, they will leave, however if treated well they will defend their companion to the best of their ability.

Cleric Summoning

Through their prayers and interactions with their Overseer, priests of all kinds are able to summon creatures from the Realm of the Overseers. These celestial or elemental beings will aid the cleric in many tasks required. Summoned Divine Spirits is a list of known spirits or creatures that typically respond to such prayers.

Arcane Summoning

Those studying the arcane have found ways to replicate many of the effects witnessed from watching priests summon aid from elsewhere. Those within the church of Ephaesus developed a means to create temporarily solid creatures from their imagination and skill with the art of conjuration.

Many arcane casters also find that they are able to permanently sustain one such summon, which is often named a familiar. The exact nature of the connection and bond to this summon will vary from one to another, but it is known that it is only one such bond can be sustained by any one caster.