A Wizards Web

Magic In Illyria

In Illyria, magic itself is a finite resource which all living creatures can call upon both internally and externally. This resource is called Mist. It takes on a cotton candy-like pink-blue color, and is a dense cloud of pure magic incarnate. It flows directly from the House of Order, and into the continent of Illyria, splitting it into multiple pieces.

Magic serves as the main source of power for the entire continent, and is present in all walks of life. Magic creates the food which those that live in Illyria eat, making up for the large shortage that plagues the land, as well as the freshwater.

All creatures have a source of Mist in themselves, which is surrounded by a thin, bubble-like veil to regulate its output and containment. This is called the personality; essentially everything that makes someone themselves. These two as a duo are usually referred to as "the soul" of a being; as without them, that creature would not be alive. Surrounding that soul is a physical form, the body. When someone does magic from their innate mist, they draw upon their limited innate pool, and then insert it into either a spell circle or flow it through a rune system, the end result is a magical effect. Mist itself comes in different forms, split into three distinct states of matter: 1) solid state of Mist allows for the Mist to transform directly into another element or compound, with experienced users being able to create complex creations out of thin air; 2) liquid state of Mist is its purest form, and allows for control of the Mist itself, or users can "flow" their Mist through something to alter its form and control it; and 3) gaseous Mist alters the personality of an individual by exerting one's will over the other, allowing for mental manipulation. There is a lesser-known fourth state of Mist, but we won't get into that now. "States of matter" is a loose phrase which allows to better describe the different types of mist, in reality, there is no physical or chemical change in the Mist itself in the different states, but Mist in the solid state doesn't have the same properties of Mist in the liquid state. The main way to tell what state it's in is to look at the color of the Mist, with solid being a light blue, gaseous being a light pink, and liquid being a mixture of the two. Mist itself can be changed from one state to the next, but only when acted upon by an outward force. That being said, someone's innate Mist pool is unique in that it cannot be changed. Mist that is not from a living creature can be tampered with and changed with relative ease, but Mist that is derived from a beings soul cannot change from its original state of matter because it's been "corrupted" by the personality of the being it originated from. This does, however, amplify the magic of a person's innate Mist, as it is more potent than external Mist.

Mist, being such a valuable resource, is hoarded by the wealthy of the lands of Illyria. Euryphos, the capital city of the Kingdoms of Arael, is a prime example of this disaster. Those that live on the surface can afford to send their children to the magical university, which allows them to learn spells and gain jobs which make them enough money to buy more Mist. Those in the caverns below the city do not have that luxury. They often use next to no magic, or draw upon their internal pool. This disparity leads to those below the surface to have next to no formal magical education, and in turn, continues the cycle of oppression of those below the surface, dark elves in particular. While those on the surface are able to pay the expensive price that Mist costs, those below are stuck with nothing but the crumbs of those above, and have resorted to other means to use their magic.

While the surface holds more "traditional" magic in its everyday life, in the caverns below, technology and unconventional magics run the show. With Artificers, using magic simply as a starter or power system for their contraptions allows for their magic to last longer than spending it freely on spells. These technological advancements are not outlawed by the government above, but are heavily looked down upon due to their unconventional methods of use and their break from the norm. The same is true with Biomancy, a newer form of magic based on using the abilities of creatures found in nature to make life easier. 

Life in the Shelves of Euryphos is rough; and the deeper you go into the caverns under the city, the further from the light of the Gods you get, and the closer you get to more ancient beings who run the show from behind the blanket of darkness that falls over the city of Lithe. Our story starts on the base of the shelves, with Ezekiel L'Rose. A half Dark-Elf born in the darkness of the caverns, knowing nothing of the light of the surface, he climbs toward the freedom above with the dream of learning. The dream of equality for his people. The dream of escaping the darkness below him. But he quickly finds that in life we must sometimes embrace the darkness that birthed us so we can become the light that guides others. Will Ezekiel find what he's searching for? Or will he fall back and become tangled in the web of the world he was born in?