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Description

Syphir and Magic

    Through the course of Ashtar’s history, even before the great invasions of demons from Yovagonde, one great vein of mystery and truth coursed through every race and every creature. This vein that flows through all is called Syphir. In its truest, unevoked form, it cannot be seen, felt, heard, touched, nor tasted. It exists as something within and around us all, and it affects us all, possibly being the origin of life and the world itself. One might call Syphir mystical, magical, even Godly. One might think that its obscurity and mystery would be eradicated should one learn more about it and how it works, but it is quite the opposite. The more we learn, the less we know, and the more in awe we are at how Syphir permeates into everything around us.

    Syphir is energy, put simply. It flows around the world, awaiting to be given meaning and form. Think of it as a blank page, where anything can be written, and the pen is merely what one wills Syphir to become. Syphir reacts to the wants and the resolve of its user, allowing one to cast spells with it. The very first attribute that can be manipulated by Syphir is motion. Heat and Light follow. From the simplest spells of manipulating wind, to the complex spells used to transmutate the physiology of a living being and heal life-threatening physical injuries or transplanting organs, Syphir’s versatility is limited only by the intelligence and will of its user. The key is a deep understanding of what it is they desire. Thinking of creating fire does not simply require visualizing a fire, it requires envisioning the heat and the vibration of the catalyst to create ignition, targeting the fuel which must be burned, and swelling the concentration of air around the object for a stronger flame. For a single fire spell, one must have a fundamental knowledge of the science of fire, something that the majority of people are not privileged to have a concept of.

    There are three essential and universal laws of Syphir that all beginners and arguably those with no affinity for magic should learn. One; Syphir cannot be created or destroyed. A being’s will does not produce Syphir inside a body, as Syphir naturally accumulates in a living being’s body over time. Syphir does not affect the physical body passively without intense desire or after being siphoned into a spell. Two; Syphir does not act without outside influence. Whether it is by the hand of a Syphir spirit, or by the desire of a Human, Elf, or Demon, Syphir requires an intention or a desire to be pulled out of its latent water-like state and be made to affect the physical world. Third, and the one least known to the public; Syphir is not the Soul of a being. Souls are something far more mysterious, esoteric, and something our minds cannot grasp or quantify with ease… something which does not need to be discussed in this passage today.

     In times of war, those with an affinity for magic are highly valued, and so are defended at all costs. The obvious reason would be for enchanting weapons, or constructing artillery, or perhaps long-range combat against infantry. There have been some occasions where a monarch had created an elite magical battalion to defend the royal family when one kingdom invaded another. But, moreover, anyone with the knowledge of healing wounds and enchanting weapons and arms are discouraged from battle, for they are worth a hundred mere foot soldiers. It is common knowledge that the first thing anyone who is remotely capable of utilizing Syphir with or without magic catalysts should do is learn any capacity of healing magic. A majority of magicians from all races agree that the study of the body and how to heal an ally’s damaged flesh and bone is of a far greater importance than knowing how to make a man melt from inside his armor. This is why the advanced study of magic is, to this day, kept close to the upper classes. However, it is not impossible for a peasant who has their hands on a strong magical catalyst, to be able to perform simple actions such as object levitation or blowing gusts of wind.

    Inscription spells are created by magic users having to create inscriptions on objects, imbued with a certain will. A magic user can use Syphir to carve and inscribe symbols and words onto objects, and thus those inscriptions can be essentially coded with an instruction of the user. For example, if the Elven words for “Durability and Power” is written onto a metal gauntlet, and a spell to increase the strength and hardness of the metal is cast, the spell will be imbued within the words, and the gauntlet is reinforced. The spell is now a memory of those words. Anyone who can read those words, has the adequate mastery of Sphyir, and can replicate the desire for the gauntlet’s durability and power can activate the inscriptions, even without knowing the specifics of the spell or the composition of the metal. However, for anyone who does not understand the inscriptions, it is merely a gauntlet, and will dent or scratch. Popular formations for inscription spells are circles and pointed stars; The rings of the circle indicate which component of a complex spell will be activated first, or points of the stars indicate the number of sub-spells working together for a single unified effect. This technique is also applicable to ink on skin. It is to the discretion of the writer of the inscriptions what the words mean, and thus it is harder for later civilizations to activate inscriptions on older objects, as idioms and connotations of the intentions might be missed entirely. Writing in ancient or even made-up scripts is common for people who wish to keep their incantations secret to them alone, and to the select few who can read them. For the words themselves do not create power when filled with Syphir, it is what is invoked in our minds and souls that bring the Syphir to life.

    Syphir travels in waves along invisible paths that many thaumaturgists train to be able to sense. It is said that if someone tries to map out a diagram of all the paths of Syphir in the world, that map would be obsolete the moment the ink touches the paper. For the paths of Syphir are ever moving, ever shifting, and always affected by any living creature moving through them, like the clouds of upturned mud in a clear flowing river. Every living thing has a capacity for Syphir, though some have biologies that are more attuned to it. Humans, Dwarves, and Halflings require the use of catalysts to perform sorcery, but Demons, Unicorns, Faeries, and Dragons are more capable of using them freely, because their bodies’ materials are more attuned to them. Every race has an amount of Syphir latently contained within their bodies, which is used to activate than the surrounding Syphir in the environment. To use magic, one musters up their desire, which commands the latent Syphir within their bodies to act as magnets or puppet strings that gather the Syphir around the caster’s environment. Some objects in nature, like certain plants, trees, gasses, liquids, and minerals are also natural conduits for Syphir. These materials are often used for catalysts to channel Syphir. It is suggested by some biologists that Syphir might have been a driving force in the diversity of so many different races of people in Ashtar, for it seems Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Humans have some common ancestor. Where some branches would have died out in changing environments, knowledge of Syphir allowed them to adapt and evolve to their own lineage.

    There also exist the spirits known as Syphir Beings. These are invisible entities of living Syphir with consciousness and sentience, living in their own, hidden world amongst the paths of Syphir. They do not live in our physical realm, but they influence us as much as we influence them. They are rarer than humans, live vastly longer, and are not born the way physical beings reproduce. A Syphir Being comes into existence when people’s will and desire strongly exists in one area, and the surrounding flow of Syphir accumulates into a consciousness of the same temperament and desires. A husband who loves his wife very much might give birth to a small Faela, who would subtly bring his wife and the tenants of their home good luck and happiness, though they do not notice it. Similarly, a dungeon or a graveyard might be infested with Faela who cause dread and despair with their very presence. A wedding ceremony might awaken a temple’s local Faela which would then be inclined to clear the weather and cause the attendees to feel fluttery and joyful in order to thrive on the emotions of love and joy exuding from those present. Occasionally, they manifest themselves in a way that humans can see, communicate, and physically interact with them, if they so desire. Children born between unions of a Syphir Beings’s physical form and a natural physical being would always take the form of the corporeal parent. But, they would be blessed and cursed with so much Syphir energy within them that the Syphir parent must cast spells to prevent the Syphir from burning away the child’s body and turning it into a fully formed Syphir Being. Syphir Beings can also possess a person’s body or reanimate a recently passed cadaver for some time. They are an aloof and enigmatic type of being, and they do not bother with the large trifles of the physical world of Ashtar, only intervening in the gravest threats to their homes. Records of their existence are few and fantastical, and it can be difficult to tell which are truthful and which not. No one knows if they have systems of government or religions the way corporeal people do, and surprisingly enough, very few seek to find out. For who would think their gods might have gods of their own?

    Through all the recorded encounters, Fae and Faela are the smallest and most numerous, followed by Spirits, then High Spirits. The distinction comes from how long they have lived and how much control they have over Syphir over the course of their lifetimes. After them come the Djinn, Spirits which are adept in creating physical bodies for themselves out of raw materials, as well as other objects seemingly out of nothing. They have such a deep understanding of matter and things beyond human perception that they can cast incredible feats of Syphir magic. It has led to the misconception that they can grant wishes to people who ask for riches out of nothing, but truly, there cannot be anything made out of nothing. Finally, there are Gods and Goddesses. These are spirits who have lived so long, learned so much, and are venerated by the people they interact with. They grow stronger the more they are worshipped, and they draw power from faith. In return, they bless their worshipers with knowledge of the world around them, leading to innovations in science, infrastructure, and magic.

    Some locations can be associated with Syphir Gods or Goddesses and used as places of worship; the largest of these cover entire holy mountains, caves, rivers, or lakes. This leaves the latent Syphir in the area enriched with will and worship. Sanctified areas like these give spells an additional potency, and are often travelled to for possible spiritual enlightenment. Much research has been made into the nature of these beings. Extensive lists of their taxonomies and types, as recorded and observed by different cultures, exist on the range of spirits that live amongst the denizens of Ashtar. It has even been speculated that raw Syphir has a life and intelligence of its own, on either a level so simple, or so far beyond the people of Ashtar’s, that they do not even recognize it as having life, the way a man doesn’t deem a tree to think like it does. Those theories delve into the realms of faith, of the occult, the esoteric, and the religious; they cannot be proven nor disproven, so there is no purpose dwelling on them any longer. The governments of Ashtar do not concern themselves with the spirits and gods, for they have no interest in the political affairs of humans, dwarves, elves, or the like, and therefore are no threat… not that anyone knows how to kill a spirit.

    Syphir has been and always will be a major element of life in Ashtar, for almost all races existing. With the invention of catalysts to channel the Syphir that their bodies cannot, Humans have raised themselves, as well as magically-challenged races like halflings and skinshifters, up to an equal standing with races like Daimar, Mardell Dwarves, Dragovix, and Demons. Great cities have been built with its use, and wars have been waged and won with Syphir Arms. The world still has many secrets, and with the use and understanding of Syphir, the people of Ashtar would do well to uncover them all.

    In due time.

_________________________________________________________________________

Here's the magic system. Finally.
I wanted to make sure hard and fast rules are laid down so there will be no inconsistencies, retcons, unexplained bullshit, higher tier of god magic, asspulls, making up new powers on the fly, etc.... *ahemAuraahemSemblanceahem*
Syphir on its own is magical Stem Cells. To create spells, it requires Will and Intelligence. You have to want something, and you have to know what you want, exactly as you want it.

Also, I don't want a magic system that is based on swishing a wand and talking in Latin. I want a magic system that's like coding, where intelligence and understanding is required, like in Fullmetal Alchemist. Something that only people who really devote themselves can master. And only the truly gifted can do magic involving telepathy, or influencing others' minds, memories, and will.

Because Will is going to be a very central theme in the world of Val Elenthriel.

Commissions available over here: [LINK]

Description

Syphir and Magic

    Through the course of Ashtar’s history, even before the great invasions of demons from Yovagonde, one great vein of mystery and truth coursed through every race and every creature. This vein that flows through all is called Syphir. In its truest, unevoked form, it cannot be seen, felt, heard, touched, nor tasted. It exists as something within and around us all, and it affects us all, possibly being the origin of life and the world itself. One might call Syphir mystical, magical, even Godly. One might think that its obscurity and mystery would be eradicated should one learn more about it and how it works, but it is quite the opposite. The more we learn, the less we know, and the more in awe we are at how Syphir permeates into everything around us.

    Syphir is energy, put simply. It flows around the world, awaiting to be given meaning and form. Think of it as a blank page, where anything can be written, and the pen is merely what one wills Syphir to become. Syphir reacts to the wants and the resolve of its user, allowing one to cast spells with it. The very first attribute that can be manipulated by Syphir is motion. Heat and Light follow. From the simplest spells of manipulating wind, to the complex spells used to transmutate the physiology of a living being and heal life-threatening physical injuries or transplanting organs, Syphir’s versatility is limited only by the intelligence and will of its user. The key is a deep understanding of what it is they desire. Thinking of creating fire does not simply require visualizing a fire, it requires envisioning the heat and the vibration of the catalyst to create ignition, targeting the fuel which must be burned, and swelling the concentration of air around the object for a stronger flame. For a single fire spell, one must have a fundamental knowledge of the science of fire, something that the majority of people are not privileged to have a concept of.

    There are three essential and universal laws of Syphir that all beginners and arguably those with no affinity for magic should learn. One; Syphir cannot be created or destroyed. A being’s will does not produce Syphir inside a body, as Syphir naturally accumulates in a living being’s body over time. Syphir does not affect the physical body passively without intense desire or after being siphoned into a spell. Two; Syphir does not act without outside influence. Whether it is by the hand of a Syphir spirit, or by the desire of a Human, Elf, or Demon, Syphir requires an intention or a desire to be pulled out of its latent water-like state and be made to affect the physical world. Third, and the one least known to the public; Syphir is not the Soul of a being. Souls are something far more mysterious, esoteric, and something our minds cannot grasp or quantify with ease… something which does not need to be discussed in this passage today.

     In times of war, those with an affinity for magic are highly valued, and so are defended at all costs. The obvious reason would be for enchanting weapons, or constructing artillery, or perhaps long-range combat against infantry. There have been some occasions where a monarch had created an elite magical battalion to defend the royal family when one kingdom invaded another. But, moreover, anyone with the knowledge of healing wounds and enchanting weapons and arms are discouraged from battle, for they are worth a hundred mere foot soldiers. It is common knowledge that the first thing anyone who is remotely capable of utilizing Syphir with or without magic catalysts should do is learn any capacity of healing magic. A majority of magicians from all races agree that the study of the body and how to heal an ally’s damaged flesh and bone is of a far greater importance than knowing how to make a man melt from inside his armor. This is why the advanced study of magic is, to this day, kept close to the upper classes. However, it is not impossible for a peasant who has their hands on a strong magical catalyst, to be able to perform simple actions such as object levitation or blowing gusts of wind.

    Inscription spells are created by magic users having to create inscriptions on objects, imbued with a certain will. A magic user can use Syphir to carve and inscribe symbols and words onto objects, and thus those inscriptions can be essentially coded with an instruction of the user. For example, if the Elven words for “Durability and Power” is written onto a metal gauntlet, and a spell to increase the strength and hardness of the metal is cast, the spell will be imbued within the words, and the gauntlet is reinforced. The spell is now a memory of those words. Anyone who can read those words, has the adequate mastery of Sphyir, and can replicate the desire for the gauntlet’s durability and power can activate the inscriptions, even without knowing the specifics of the spell or the composition of the metal. However, for anyone who does not understand the inscriptions, it is merely a gauntlet, and will dent or scratch. Popular formations for inscription spells are circles and pointed stars; The rings of the circle indicate which component of a complex spell will be activated first, or points of the stars indicate the number of sub-spells working together for a single unified effect. This technique is also applicable to ink on skin. It is to the discretion of the writer of the inscriptions what the words mean, and thus it is harder for later civilizations to activate inscriptions on older objects, as idioms and connotations of the intentions might be missed entirely. Writing in ancient or even made-up scripts is common for people who wish to keep their incantations secret to them alone, and to the select few who can read them. For the words themselves do not create power when filled with Syphir, it is what is invoked in our minds and souls that bring the Syphir to life.

    Syphir travels in waves along invisible paths that many thaumaturgists train to be able to sense. It is said that if someone tries to map out a diagram of all the paths of Syphir in the world, that map would be obsolete the moment the ink touches the paper. For the paths of Syphir are ever moving, ever shifting, and always affected by any living creature moving through them, like the clouds of upturned mud in a clear flowing river. Every living thing has a capacity for Syphir, though some have biologies that are more attuned to it. Humans, Dwarves, and Halflings require the use of catalysts to perform sorcery, but Demons, Unicorns, Faeries, and Dragons are more capable of using them freely, because their bodies’ materials are more attuned to them. Every race has an amount of Syphir latently contained within their bodies, which is used to activate than the surrounding Syphir in the environment. To use magic, one musters up their desire, which commands the latent Syphir within their bodies to act as magnets or puppet strings that gather the Syphir around the caster’s environment. Some objects in nature, like certain plants, trees, gasses, liquids, and minerals are also natural conduits for Syphir. These materials are often used for catalysts to channel Syphir. It is suggested by some biologists that Syphir might have been a driving force in the diversity of so many different races of people in Ashtar, for it seems Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Humans have some common ancestor. Where some branches would have died out in changing environments, knowledge of Syphir allowed them to adapt and evolve to their own lineage.

    There also exist the spirits known as Syphir Beings. These are invisible entities of living Syphir with consciousness and sentience, living in their own, hidden world amongst the paths of Syphir. They do not live in our physical realm, but they influence us as much as we influence them. They are rarer than humans, live vastly longer, and are not born the way physical beings reproduce. A Syphir Being comes into existence when people’s will and desire strongly exists in one area, and the surrounding flow of Syphir accumulates into a consciousness of the same temperament and desires. A husband who loves his wife very much might give birth to a small Faela, who would subtly bring his wife and the tenants of their home good luck and happiness, though they do not notice it. Similarly, a dungeon or a graveyard might be infested with Faela who cause dread and despair with their very presence. A wedding ceremony might awaken a temple’s local Faela which would then be inclined to clear the weather and cause the attendees to feel fluttery and joyful in order to thrive on the emotions of love and joy exuding from those present. Occasionally, they manifest themselves in a way that humans can see, communicate, and physically interact with them, if they so desire. Children born between unions of a Syphir Beings’s physical form and a natural physical being would always take the form of the corporeal parent. But, they would be blessed and cursed with so much Syphir energy within them that the Syphir parent must cast spells to prevent the Syphir from burning away the child’s body and turning it into a fully formed Syphir Being. Syphir Beings can also possess a person’s body or reanimate a recently passed cadaver for some time. They are an aloof and enigmatic type of being, and they do not bother with the large trifles of the physical world of Ashtar, only intervening in the gravest threats to their homes. Records of their existence are few and fantastical, and it can be difficult to tell which are truthful and which not. No one knows if they have systems of government or religions the way corporeal people do, and surprisingly enough, very few seek to find out. For who would think their gods might have gods of their own?

    Through all the recorded encounters, Fae and Faela are the smallest and most numerous, followed by Spirits, then High Spirits. The distinction comes from how long they have lived and how much control they have over Syphir over the course of their lifetimes. After them come the Djinn, Spirits which are adept in creating physical bodies for themselves out of raw materials, as well as other objects seemingly out of nothing. They have such a deep understanding of matter and things beyond human perception that they can cast incredible feats of Syphir magic. It has led to the misconception that they can grant wishes to people who ask for riches out of nothing, but truly, there cannot be anything made out of nothing. Finally, there are Gods and Goddesses. These are spirits who have lived so long, learned so much, and are venerated by the people they interact with. They grow stronger the more they are worshipped, and they draw power from faith. In return, they bless their worshipers with knowledge of the world around them, leading to innovations in science, infrastructure, and magic.

    Some locations can be associated with Syphir Gods or Goddesses and used as places of worship; the largest of these cover entire holy mountains, caves, rivers, or lakes. This leaves the latent Syphir in the area enriched with will and worship. Sanctified areas like these give spells an additional potency, and are often travelled to for possible spiritual enlightenment. Much research has been made into the nature of these beings. Extensive lists of their taxonomies and types, as recorded and observed by different cultures, exist on the range of spirits that live amongst the denizens of Ashtar. It has even been speculated that raw Syphir has a life and intelligence of its own, on either a level so simple, or so far beyond the people of Ashtar’s, that they do not even recognize it as having life, the way a man doesn’t deem a tree to think like it does. Those theories delve into the realms of faith, of the occult, the esoteric, and the religious; they cannot be proven nor disproven, so there is no purpose dwelling on them any longer. The governments of Ashtar do not concern themselves with the spirits and gods, for they have no interest in the political affairs of humans, dwarves, elves, or the like, and therefore are no threat… not that anyone knows how to kill a spirit.

    Syphir has been and always will be a major element of life in Ashtar, for almost all races existing. With the invention of catalysts to channel the Syphir that their bodies cannot, Humans have raised themselves, as well as magically-challenged races like halflings and skinshifters, up to an equal standing with races like Daimar, Mardell Dwarves, Dragovix, and Demons. Great cities have been built with its use, and wars have been waged and won with Syphir Arms. The world still has many secrets, and with the use and understanding of Syphir, the people of Ashtar would do well to uncover them all.

    In due time.

_________________________________________________________________________

Here's the magic system. Finally.
I wanted to make sure hard and fast rules are laid down so there will be no inconsistencies, retcons, unexplained bullshit, higher tier of god magic, asspulls, making up new powers on the fly, etc.... *ahemAuraahemSemblanceahem*
Syphir on its own is magical Stem Cells. To create spells, it requires Will and Intelligence. You have to want something, and you have to know what you want, exactly as you want it.

Also, I don't want a magic system that is based on swishing a wand and talking in Latin. I want a magic system that's like coding, where intelligence and understanding is required, like in Fullmetal Alchemist. Something that only people who really devote themselves can master. And only the truly gifted can do magic involving telepathy, or influencing others' minds, memories, and will.

Because Will is going to be a very central theme in the world of Val Elenthriel.

Commissions available over here: [LINK]