A survey of the history and general use of magic, the varieties or schools of magic, and the legal status of magic use in the three kingdoms of Atenla by Jesphat Falkar, Royal Librarian to King Maebric Falkar I of Falkaria; 813 AE (Apres Empirium)

  Fundamentals of Magic

  Magic power in Atenla is derived from fuels, specifically human consumption of the appropriate fuel, known as ‘burning’ of the fuel.

  Not all humans are able to convert fuels into magic power, and not all humans able to convert fuels into magic power have the same capacity to do so. Most humans are able to convert one specific type of fuel into magic power, some are able to convert two or more. Rare examples have been reported of individual humans capable of converting all fuels into magic power.

  Additionally, the efficiency with which individual humans convert fuel into magic power varies. The same amount of fuel does not translate to the same amount of power in a different user. Individual users that are able to convert multiple fuels to power often exhibit different levels of efficiency across fuel types.

  A fuel is, however, an absolute requirement for casting. Without fuel, even a skilled magic user is unable to wield the power. All fuels are derived from particular plants, which can be found in the different climates and regions of Atenla. Thus, in post-Imperial times, the various schools of magic use are more commonly practiced in regions where the proper fuels are more available. There is also a brisk trade in fuels across the content of Atenla, openly where allowed or via the blackmarket where that is not the case (see “Legality of Magic Use”).

  The Corruption

  The corruption of magic is believed to have begun around the time of the fall of the Atenlan Empire, and thus complete knowledge of the events surrounding the corruption have been lost to time.

  This historian believes, and has shown at length in various expository pieces included the much lauded An Historical Analysis of the Fall of the Atenlan Empire, that the corruption of magic was in fact caused by the same calamitous event that brought about the fall of the Empire, namely a failed ritual of such momentous power that we are still feeling the impact of it today.

  Exact effects of the corruption vary by fuel, and the severity of the effects appear to scale in inverse proportion to an individual’s efficiency at converting fuel to power – though not always. The effects of corruption also tend to build over time – as a magic user consumes more fuel, and therefore more corruption, the effects of the corruption on the magic user will become more severe, last longer and eventually become semi or totally permanent.

  A more detailed understanding of the cause of the corruption has yet eluded scholars. Presumably, with the correct understanding of the cause of the corruption, the corruption could in fact be resolved to some extent or even eliminated, allowing for magic to be used safely once again.

  Disciplines of Magic

  There are five known disciplines of magic, each with their own fuel: smoke magic, powder magic, skag magic, earth magic and root magic. While there are rumors of a possible sixth fuel source, this historian was unable to find any credible references to this fuel or its related discipline.

  Smoke Magic

  Smoke magic is the most often seen magic in Atenla, as both the fuel and those capable of burning the fuel for the purpose of magic are relatively common. The effects of the corruption from the Canapa fuel used in smoke magic are also mild when compared to the other fuels, which has led to easier cultural acceptance of smoke mages and their art.

  Fuel Source: Smoke magic is fueled by the Canapa plant, which can be found growing in nearly every corner of the continent. As a result, smoke magic remains the most common magic even in areas where magic has been outlawed. Many known strains of the Canapa plant exist which thrive under different growing conditions, each with slightly different effects on power conversion efficiency. The Canapa plant is quite literally a weed, and it has proven impossible to eradicate natural growth of the plant where magic use is outlawed.

  Preparation & Ingestion: The flowery buds of the Canapa plant can be smoked directly from the plant, but ideally are dried and cured before smoking. More advanced practitioners have been known to distill a tincture that can be consumed more discreetly or to prepare other food items with Canapa plant flowers baked in.

  Capabilities: Use of the Canapa fuel allows a magic user to create illusions that can deceive an observer's senses. Skilled users can craft illusions that affect sight, sound and smell. Theoretically a highly skilled smoke magician could create an illusion to trick an observer's sense of touch and even taste, but there have been no recent documented cases of a smoke magician wielding this capability. Smoke magic can also be used to affect minor telekinesis.

  Corruption Effects: The effect of the corruption on smoke magic users is relatively mild, which contributes to authorities lax enforcement of the ban on this particular type of magic in regions where it is ostensibly prohibited. Heavy smoke magic users suffer from poor memory and a general lack of focus. Use of the fuel causes a direct and immediate hunger, and smoke magic users who are unable to manage this side effect are often overweight.

  Powder Magic

  While powder magic is less common, it is widely known that the criminal organizations here in Falkaria employ assassins known as quickmen who practice this art. The corruption caused by consuming powder is more obvious though, and, as the criminal element likes to say ‘there is a reason you don’t meet old quickmen.’

  Fuel Source: Powder magic is fueled by a fine powder that is refined from the leaves of a plant known as Coka. The Coka plant only thrives in the lush southern jungles of Summor, and is the region’s primary cash crop, trade in the refined powder produced from the plant provides the foundation of the regional economy. As a result, the process by which the raw leaves of the Coka plant can be refined to produce the functional powder fuel (which is known by many names across the land, seemingly every region and subculture has its own name for the powder) is a closely guarded secret of the jungle tribes who depend upon it for their livelihood.

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  Preparation & Ingestion: As noted above, very little is known regarding the actual process by which the jungle natives convert raw Coka leaves into the powder. Based on a more general knowledge of herbology and alchemical processes, this author can suppose that the process likely involves boiling the leaves and extracting the active substance in a paste form, which must then be dried and converted into a powder. Powder mages typically snort the Coka powder through their nostrils. The effects of the fuel, both in terms of magical ability and corruption, hit almost immediately. In all but the most efficient of burners, powder burns faster than the other fuels when used to power magic.

  Capabilities: Powder magic fuels some of the most useful abilities for combat. The full scope of a highly skilled and efficient powder mage’s abilities is broad, and includes power over the elements of fire, water, earth and air as well as major telekinesis. The ability to manipulate these forces allows a powder mage to employ both defensive and offensive magic. Creating shields of air for protection, gouts of fire that burn and destroy wantonly, even increasing an individual’s speed, strength and reaction times (hence the moniker ‘quickmen’); a powder mage’s full abilities can be quite frightening indeed.

  Corruption Effects: In equal proportion to powder magic’s capabilities the corruption effects of powder use are significantly debilitating. Powder users can seem unfocused or even fully dissociated from reality, often rambling in conversations and talking over others. Heavy powder users sleep poorly, if at all, and suffer from a poor appetite as the fuel suppresses hunger quite effectively. Eventually most powder mages lose their appetite, stop eating entirely and waste away. Powder use almost always results in death.

  Skag Magic

  Skag magic is perhaps the most misunderstood of the disciplines, due to the dualistic nature of this fuel. Skag magic deals with the realm of life and death – and also undeath. Most skag magic users are kind, caring, healers who employ their abilities to cure diseases and heal wounds. Some skag magic users, however, delve into the darker side of the divide between life and death, becoming necromancers.

  Fuel Source: Ironically, the fuel source for skag magic is nearly as common as Canapa, as it is derived from the common poppy plant. The limiting factor in skag magic’s proliferation is the lack of burners able to utilize the fuel for magic.

  Preparation & Ingestion: The process by which the secretions of the poppy flower are converted to the fuel is similar to how the author supposes Coka is turned to powder, with most skag mages preferring a similar powder like form of the fuel. It is possible to utilize the tar like substance that is the unrefined secretion of the flower as a fuel as well though, in which case it is typically smoked like Canapa fuel. Most skag mages prefer to ingest the skag powder in a similar fashion as well, via the nostril. It is, however, rumored that skag mages who veer towards necromancy utilize a more direct form of ingestion, whereby the powder is converted to a liquid and injected directly into their veins. Skag mages who inject the fuel are also often called by the derogatory term ‘bangers,’ which is synonymous with necromancer. Skag is the slowest burning fuel, even inefficient skag mages can deploy its power for hours from a small amount of ingested fuel.

  Capabilities: As noted previously, skag magic exists on the edge between life and death. Used for good, skag magic can heal diseases, cure wounds, mend broken bones and restore life. Powerful skag mages can even cause plants to grow rapidly. When used for evil, skag magic can quite simply kill. Skag mages have the power to draw the life force out of their victims, stop a living creature’s heart from beating or otherwise impede a body’s function. Truly evil skag mages, known as necromancers, cross even further over the divide between life and death, dabbling with forbidden forces to work truly foul magics.

  Corruption Effects: The use of skag magic takes a heavy toll on practitioners, even those who employ it to heal and cure. A corollary to skag magic’s efficiency is that the in-use corruptive effects of the fuel impact the user for long periods of time, including a general lethargy and slowness of mind. Skag mages are often thin and wasted, with waxy skin. As with powder magic, prolonged heavy use often leads to death. These effects are often more pronounced in necromancers, who often take on the appearance of skeletons themselves.

  Earth Magic

  Earth magic is the rarest of disciplines, and there is little information to be found about its practice or purpose. Earth mages are often known as ‘seers,’ as this fuel enables abilities like divination and clairvoyance.

  Fuel Source: Earth magic is fueled by a particular variety of mushrooms that are known to grow commonly in cow pastures and other limbic areas where human settlements brush against the natural world. The fuel itself is actually fairly common, though difficult to cultivate. Practitioners capable of burning the fuel are rare, though it is possible that there are many potential practitioners who have simply never attempted to use the fuel and activate their abilities.

  Preparation & Ingestion: The mushrooms that fuel earth magic can be ingested when freshly picked, or dried. When dried the fuel will keep for long periods of time with only a slight degradation in potency. The mushrooms are typically consumed orally, either on their own or with other foods, such as on bread with butter or crushed and mixed with fruit juices.

  Capabilities: Earth magic practitioners are also often known as seers, as the fuel provides its users with the powers of divination and prophecy. Related capabilities such as general clairvoyance and extra sensory perception are also common, and though earth mages prefer to keep quiet about it they are also often able to read the minds of others while burning the fuel.

  Corruption Effects: The mushrooms that fuel earth magic seem to be least impacted by the corruption, with only minor side effects. Most of the corruption effects cause various types of discomfort while the earth mage’s body is processing the fuel, such as nausea and vomiting. Hallucinations are also common, which can be difficult for an untrained earth mage to separate from the true prophecy and perceptions of the magic. Constant long-term use may also result in dissociative psychosis on the part of the user, and for this reason many earth mages take long breaks between their ‘trips.’

  Root Magic

  Perhaps the most obscure and least well documented form of magic is root magic. Root magic users tend to be highly secretive about their abilities, and for good reason. Many would be ostracized from their communities in short order if their use of this magic discipline was broadly known.

  Fuel Source: Root magic is fueled by a distillate created from the oil of the sassafras root. Sassafras is a plant with multiple subspecies that grow widely in temperate to tropical climates of Atenla, but is rare in the Northern regions.

  Preparation & Ingestion: Once the oil is extracted from the sassafras roots most root mages, often known as ‘sousers,’ mix it with ale to cover the horrible taste of the extract. Once mixed with ale, or any other beverage, sousers will ingest the concoction orally. Sousers typically carry a flask of their preferred mixture with them.

  Capabilities: Root mages are empowered with the abilities of charm and entrancement, and are able to seduce and command others (including many animals) with their powers. Some powerful root mages can even induce effects like unconsciousness. Root mages are also able to identify other magic users and magic in use, making them particularly dangerous to smoke mages. Root mages are very empathetic, and many can tell the difference between the truth and a lie even when not under the influence of the root.

  Corruption Effects: Use of the root itself causes sousers to feel highly empathetic and connected to those around them, but the corruption can also cause them to clench their jaw, sweat profusely and experience hot flashes. Many sousers have trouble sleeping, and often have poor appetites.