World Descriptions: Magic
Magic is split into six main elements, each of which is split into two sub-elements, and non-elemental magic. Non-element magic consists solely of utility spells such s healing, tracking, hovering, and so on. While there are elemental variations of some non-elemental spells that will work better in certain circumstances, non-elemental/utility magic is still useful as it works the same regardless of who uses it.
Of the six main elements, four are 'nature' elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air), and two are 'spiritual' elements (Light, Dark.) Each sub-element is allotted a True Power Orb (melded with the soul of a compatible magical non-planar person) and a false power orb (hidden in crystal form in an elemental location) in order to deceive those who wish to absorb or destroy the true orbs.
Note that element of magic controlled has nothing to do with alignment.
In no particular order, the sub-elements are as follows:
Water: Aqua, Ice.
Air: Wind, Lightning.
Earth: Plant, Ground.
Fire: Flame, Solar.
Dark: True, Chaos.
Light: True, Love/Soul.
The most common magic users command a single sub-element. Some expand to controlling the entirety of that full element. Others are able to control disconnected sub-elements. Rarely can one person control conflicting sub-elements, meaning element pairs where one is weak to the other. Those who do are considered special. There are also specialized users of particular non-element branches of magic, some of which are the following:
Destiny/Death
Time
Metal
Spirit
Void
The elements naturally have strengths and weaknesses to each other. Not all magic users have a defensive element, and not everything with a defensive element is a magic user, but those that are are subject to these rules regardless of their offensive magic.
ElementWeaknessesResistWater (Aqua)Earth (Plant), Air (Lightning)Fire (Flame)Water (Ice)Fire (Flame), Air (Lightning)Air (Wind)Air (Wind)Water (Ice), Light (True)Earth (Ground)Air (Lightning)Earth (Ground), Air (Wind)Water (Ice)Earth (Ground)Air (Wind), Water (Aqua)Air (Lightning)Earth (Plant)Water (Ice), Fire (Flame)Water (Aqua)Fire (Flame)Water (Aqua), Earth (Ground)Earth (Plant)Fire (Solar)Dark (True), Earth (Plant)Light (Love)Dark (True)Dark (Chaos), Light (True)Fire (Solar)Dark (Chaos)Light (Love), Fire (Solar)Light (True)Light (True)Dark (Chaos), Light (Love)Dark (True)Light (Love)Fire (Solar), Dark (True)Dark (Chaos)
There are some set spells, such as the ultimate spells for each element, but mostly the magic can be shaped at will with the proper element. However, most users only study the set spells and do not invent their own, due to this not being common knowledge.
Ultimate Spells:
Water (Aqua): Tidal Wave
Water (Ice): Magician's Freeze
Fire (Flame): Soulfire
Fire (Solar): Star Shower
Air (Wind): Cyclone Disruption
Air (Lightning): Volt Burst
Earth (Ground): Terra Split
Earth (Plant): Sacred Forest
Dark (True): Darkness Overload
Dark (Chaos): Asteroid Call
Light (True): Astral Light
Light (Love): Soul Blade
All innately magical beings have auras that deflect weaker magical and all physical attacks. These auras are failsafes, and at most deflect one or two weak hits, and should not be relied on. They are equivalent to light body armor, and a solid hit can be jarring to the user even if it isn't broken. An aura is elementally tuned to the user's defensive magic and activates automatically under nearby spellfire. Auras do not require concentration or energy to maintain and are only visible when activating, struck, or deactivating. Auras deactivate when the threat of offensive magic is past. An aura being forcefully deactivated by a spell is very bad for the user and can cause magical backlash, injury, and in extreme cases coma. Attacks of an element strong against the user's aura that have the strength to pierce through can cause major damage physically as well, causing bleeding and even brain damage.
Any magic user can generate a shield. Shields can be formed in any shape at a high enough level, but are primarily small bubbles around the user. Shields require energy to maintain and can be elementally tuned to either offensive or defensive magic. Shields are always visible when active and must be activated by the user.
As a 'half-muse' aligned with good, Discord has access to the Light (True) element. She does not have an inherent defensive element, and thus her aura and shield are both default non-elemental, making them weaker than elemental shields and auras but not elementally weak. As she works for Fate, she also has access to the Destiny and Time domains. She can use healing magic.
Next: Ranks/sub-species.
Of the six main elements, four are 'nature' elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air), and two are 'spiritual' elements (Light, Dark.) Each sub-element is allotted a True Power Orb (melded with the soul of a compatible magical non-planar person) and a false power orb (hidden in crystal form in an elemental location) in order to deceive those who wish to absorb or destroy the true orbs.
Note that element of magic controlled has nothing to do with alignment.
In no particular order, the sub-elements are as follows:
Water: Aqua, Ice.
Air: Wind, Lightning.
Earth: Plant, Ground.
Fire: Flame, Solar.
Dark: True, Chaos.
Light: True, Love/Soul.
The most common magic users command a single sub-element. Some expand to controlling the entirety of that full element. Others are able to control disconnected sub-elements. Rarely can one person control conflicting sub-elements, meaning element pairs where one is weak to the other. Those who do are considered special. There are also specialized users of particular non-element branches of magic, some of which are the following:
Destiny/Death
Time
Metal
Spirit
Void
The elements naturally have strengths and weaknesses to each other. Not all magic users have a defensive element, and not everything with a defensive element is a magic user, but those that are are subject to these rules regardless of their offensive magic.
ElementWeaknessesResistWater (Aqua)Earth (Plant), Air (Lightning)Fire (Flame)Water (Ice)Fire (Flame), Air (Lightning)Air (Wind)Air (Wind)Water (Ice), Light (True)Earth (Ground)Air (Lightning)Earth (Ground), Air (Wind)Water (Ice)Earth (Ground)Air (Wind), Water (Aqua)Air (Lightning)Earth (Plant)Water (Ice), Fire (Flame)Water (Aqua)Fire (Flame)Water (Aqua), Earth (Ground)Earth (Plant)Fire (Solar)Dark (True), Earth (Plant)Light (Love)Dark (True)Dark (Chaos), Light (True)Fire (Solar)Dark (Chaos)Light (Love), Fire (Solar)Light (True)Light (True)Dark (Chaos), Light (Love)Dark (True)Light (Love)Fire (Solar), Dark (True)Dark (Chaos)
There are some set spells, such as the ultimate spells for each element, but mostly the magic can be shaped at will with the proper element. However, most users only study the set spells and do not invent their own, due to this not being common knowledge.
Ultimate Spells:
Water (Aqua): Tidal Wave
Water (Ice): Magician's Freeze
Fire (Flame): Soulfire
Fire (Solar): Star Shower
Air (Wind): Cyclone Disruption
Air (Lightning): Volt Burst
Earth (Ground): Terra Split
Earth (Plant): Sacred Forest
Dark (True): Darkness Overload
Dark (Chaos): Asteroid Call
Light (True): Astral Light
Light (Love): Soul Blade
All innately magical beings have auras that deflect weaker magical and all physical attacks. These auras are failsafes, and at most deflect one or two weak hits, and should not be relied on. They are equivalent to light body armor, and a solid hit can be jarring to the user even if it isn't broken. An aura is elementally tuned to the user's defensive magic and activates automatically under nearby spellfire. Auras do not require concentration or energy to maintain and are only visible when activating, struck, or deactivating. Auras deactivate when the threat of offensive magic is past. An aura being forcefully deactivated by a spell is very bad for the user and can cause magical backlash, injury, and in extreme cases coma. Attacks of an element strong against the user's aura that have the strength to pierce through can cause major damage physically as well, causing bleeding and even brain damage.
Any magic user can generate a shield. Shields can be formed in any shape at a high enough level, but are primarily small bubbles around the user. Shields require energy to maintain and can be elementally tuned to either offensive or defensive magic. Shields are always visible when active and must be activated by the user.
As a 'half-muse' aligned with good, Discord has access to the Light (True) element. She does not have an inherent defensive element, and thus her aura and shield are both default non-elemental, making them weaker than elemental shields and auras but not elementally weak. As she works for Fate, she also has access to the Destiny and Time domains. She can use healing magic.
Next: Ranks/sub-species.