Worldbuilding | Magic in Amashik
Part 1: Aurors and Dreadfuls
Wait… There’s Magic?
Depending on how far along you are in your journey into Amashik you may not have encountered much magic yet. To be honest, there isn’t a lot in the first volume at all. And that’s on purpose.
You see, when I sat down (over many months) and began crafting this world I wanted it to feel relatable. I wanted it to feel real. It needed to be grounded in a world that felt, looked, and behaved similarly to our own. Introducing magic from the start would’ve made that very difficult.
That said, the origins of the current landscape within Amashik are themselves magical… according to legend at least. Let me share that story with you before I dive deeper into 2 of the 4 branches of magic found within TRoN:
It is believed that hundreds of years ago an event known as “The Separation” took place when the ancient race known as the Hlavin “shattered” Amashik. Without consulting the other races in existence at the time, the Hlavin decided that men and magic could no longer mix. Their leaders unilaterally declared that magic be sent to the four corners of the world.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Hlavin gathered in Rhitia, which at the time was a peninsula that sat south of what we now know as Athea and north of the Old Lands. Legend has it that collectively, using some ungodly force, they broke the ties between the ethereal plain and the physical, thus separating any ability to tap into what the T’sin call “The Wellspring.” The apparent source of all “mystical and magical abilities.”
While some sources disagree on what happened next, we know that this event devastated the Hlavin. Many who gathered in Rhitia that day were lost when the landmass itself broke to pieces in their attempt to gain a monopoly on magic.
Book of The Divine, Chapter 1
Every culture and religion within Amashik has their own spin on the above origin story. It is widely held that some version or another is true, though which is the “truest” I cannot say. Not because I don’t want to tell you, but because I do not know. What I do know is that if the Hlavin were truly aiming to rid the world of all its magic, they failed.
In the United Provinces of Lokmee there’s an odd practice of animal sacrifice that apparently allows some to raise the recently deceased creatures. The Floating Forest of Gea is believed to be home to all types of magical beings, though no explorer has ever returned to prove or disprove this notion. Well… except for one. The T’sin are said to possess the ability to access “the in between” and see into the past. Much of this is up for debate but evidence of magic can be seen all across Amashik if you look close enough.
No where is it more noticeable than in The Kingdom of Edhel. Four major branches of magic are practiced in Edhel. Their practitioners are known as Aurors, Transcendeds, Glamours, and Dreadfuls. While the source of their magic is unknown rumors of their abilities are widespread. Unlike the origins of Amashik as it stands today, I can definitely confirm that these tales are true. Let’s dive into Aurors and Dreadfuls a bit further.
Aurors
I am a big believer in the notion that magic should have clear limitations and consequences in order to keep it from ruining a story. Aurors, who have the ability to harness the sun and use its power as their own needed a serious handicap. While a powerful Auror can literally soak up the sun’s rays and use them as a weapon (think of a concentrated solar flare, like in the image above) they can only do so in relation to the amount of direct sunlight they are getting.
To put in another way, an Auror locked in a dungeon or in a particularly dark and heavy cloak would be powerless. With this in mind it’s a bit clearer why these gods among men haven’t just taken over the world. Being at the whims of the nature put a recognizable limit on their abilities making them vulnerable more than half the time when you consider nightfall and bad weather.
Despite this limitation, Aurors are extremely powerful when they want to be and it’s likely how a family of them came to rule The Kingdom of Edhel. The Penningtine’s are a shrewd bunch, knowing when and when not to tap into their solar power. More on the Penningtine’s in time.
Dreadfuls
If the Aurors had a direct antagonist it would be the Dreadfuls. While their magical abilities don’t necessarily clash, the two major houses connected to the use of their magic certainly do. House Elsewine, long ago banished to Esad, the northern most seat in Edhel, have been at odds with the Penningtine’s for centuries. While the Penningtine’s have upheld the pact between these four branches, known as the “Bargain of the Tetrad,” the Elsewine’s actively tried to break it for years.
Initially doing so by political means and failing, Sir Lucas Elsewine eventually decided to use his latent magical abilities instead. As a Dreadful, Sir Lucas attempted to “break” the mind of the King of Edhel at the time, Byron Penningtine, by using his telepathic powers. This was a step too far for the rest of the major houses and is the reason for much of the conflict between House Penningtine and House Elsewine today (more of that in volume 2).
In addition to telepathy, a Dreadful who is powerful enough is also believed to have telekinetic powers as well. This combination makes for an extremely dangerous individual; were one ever to show up on the scene they would be a force. Though they wouldn’t be completely unstoppable, for as I said, every magical ability needs balance.
Long ago it was discovered that the material known as cardonite could limit the effects of telepathy and telekinesis. The Lords of all major houses in Edhel wear crowns made of cardonite and some of the wealthiest citizens of the kingdom are those who buy and sell the raw material. (Fun fact: one of the reasons the Empire and Edhel have remained friendly is due to the large amounts of cardonite found in the Burelia mines).
In addition to having a physical means of stopping a Dreadfuls’ telepathic and telekinetic powers they also end up being their own worst enemy. A Dreadful can literally lose their mind by medaling in the minds of too many others. Whether they snap and go insane, become comatose, or die of what is likely an aneurysm they can only go so far before their gift becomes their curse. Despite these drawbacks, Dreadfuls are some of the most inherently dangerous magic users outside of Aurors in all of Amashik, especially if you can’t see them coming.
Glamours and Transcendeds
Speaking of not being able to see them coming, make sure you check out Part 2 so you can learn all about Glamours and Transcendeds. It’ll be available tomorrow morning for all paid subscribers! Not a paid subscriber yet? Click here to remedy that: