Mana, the Fabric of Reality

A building block of all things that ever lived or will live. It plays a large role in the creation of life, though it is not the only thing that keeps a being alive.

In the trees, in the oceans, in the soil. Flowing through the air as it reaches out the touch the meadows. Mana is found where life is strongest, the main reason why the fae forests are so awash with it. Its hard to breathe in some parts because of the intensity.

In the beginning, when Demyra formed the planet together and Irasil was created from its primordial essence, there was an abundance of magic material. Each race was given a piece of the power left behind from the beginning, entrusted with the task of growing and developing.

Over time, the races would grow and develop. The primordial material became the building blocks for the racial proficiencies Alaris is known for. Each race did something different and could use their ability to stand out from the others. They used their talents to adapt to the environment they settled in when the world was young.

Fire

- Among the most destructive of the elements, fire is capable of both sustaining and destroying life around it. It can cleanse and cauterize wounds, or scorch flesh and bones. It can warm a home to stave away the bitter cold of winter, or bring entire cities to ruins of coal and embers and ash. Users of fire magic often risk losing control, as a simple awry ember can cause another flame that can quickly consume everything around them.

In order to produce a flame, one must possess a source of fuel and the presence of oxygen. In cases of mana, the mana itself can be used as the fuel source. The strength of a magical flame is proportional to the amount of mana that one funnels into the spark, fueling the pyre. In this case, the spark is classified as a unique collision of energy in the body. When casting a fire spell, the mana in the body strikes against itself like a flint and steel would.

Advanced Mechanics - Immolate

Immolate is the ability to bypass the requirements of fire, and increase the heat beyond the typical limits of the ability. Through countless years of study and devotion, one creates a flame that can continue to burn without oxygen or without a continued fuel source. A user must devote themselves fully to this art in order to achieve this level of power.

The biggest downside is a nod to the name of the ability. One is likely to sacrifice themselves in the heat of the flames being produced. Like a pyre, they may burn themselves to ashes if they arent careful. Immolate produces flames that are hot enough to melt objects generally considered impervious to heat, such as dense stone or the surface of water.

Water

-Like the fire before it, water is a powerful element, used to both sustain and drown out life. Most water users take on traits of the water they use, becoming fluid and adaptive to their situation. Water can be gentle and healing, or forceful enough to carve through flesh and bone and steel and stone. Users of water magic can pull down rain, raise fog, or garden the water for more durable applications.

Water requires two factors in order to function. It first requires moisture in the air or some sort of water in near proximity. The other is the ability to condense moisture into form and control the water in one's possession. Water is subject to friction and tends to take more action to keep in control.

Earth

-The manipulation of earth. The shaping of dirt and stone and crystal. In the hands of more powerful users, one can shape metal, creating formidable weapons and armor from scrap or rendering others weak or useless. Users or this magic can raise the ground to shield them, turn the earth below into loose dirt traps, create dust storms out of nowhere, and even create tunnels and doors where there were none. Like all magics, the userust be careful. Even experienced users can misjudge the stability of the earth around them, and more than a few have lost themselves when unstable ground gave way to deep pits.

Air

-Inarguably among the most overlooked magics, the manipulation of air is nothing to stick one's nose up at. Where there is empty space and magic, there is power for those who use this magic. From simple breezes to cool or distract another, to blocking another's path by pushing against them with air, to creating gusts of wind powerful enough to level cities, there are few limits to air magic. Users of this magic can fly without wings, suffocate fires or even pull the air from another's lungs. With great power comes great risk. Users can lose themselves to the same great gusts they create.

Ice

- Users of ice manipulation are a force to be reckoned with, so long as they are careful not to freeze themselves in the process. They can slicken the ground beneath their opponents feet, launch great bolts of ice, and block passages with walls too thick to break. They can move quickly by gliding on paths made from materials covered in ice, or harden the moisture in the air around them to conceal their movement, harm their opponents, or condense it into armor. Snow, sleet, hail, frost, and icicles all fall within ice users control.

Lightning

- While air is among the most overlooked magics, lightning is among the most dangerous. It is all too easy for the lightning cast to turn back on its user. Metal armor can be welded in place, melting to the flesh of its wearer. Most commonly, users would be able to discharge large amounts of electricity in order to shock their opponents, potentially paralyzing them, burning them, or even stopping their hearts in severe cases. Beware accidentally harming allies if the user's control over electricity is not precise enough. Some users would also be able to summon lightning bolts and manipulate it within the skies or create thunderstorms at will. Even if one's opponent is resistant to electricity, the immense heat generated from lightning traveling through the sky, which is many times hotter than the surface of the sun, will definitely pose a threat to them.

Light

-Blinding others with great flashes, or bending it around oneself to become almost invisible are only two of the uses of light magic. One often overlooked use is the manipulation of color, as each is only reflected light. Solid constructs, such as weapons and walls, can be created by condensing light particles. Loosely packed particles can be used to create powerful blast of light, both in pulses and in the form of lasers.

Darkness

-Darkness, the absence of light, but only created with its presence. The manipulation of darkness, like all elements on this list, has almost as many applications as the user can imagine. The most obvious of these are, of course, the ability to move around and see in darkness, completely hidden from sight. Shadows can be hardened, allowing the user to create solid constructs such as weapons and defenses.

Botany

-The ability to bend plants to one's will is a gardener's wet dream. Causing plant life to flourish in ways it shouldn't and using them to defend, attack, and entangle aren't the only uses of this magic. Users can manipulate parts of the plant, such as chemicals, and manipulating the plants for projectiles and traps. One must be careful of how much they change, though, as to avoid environmental disasters or building up chemicals around them.

Alteration

-The power to change aspects of the world around them, users of the alteration magic are borderline unpredictable. While alteration has the most freedom in use of all of the elements, it also has the most restrictions. To properly change what they touch, users have to understand both what they are changing, and what they are changing them to. Without understanding every aspect of both, they leave much up to chance, and doing so can have devastating consequences.

Alteration modifies the properties of the world. Alteration is designed to change qualities of something without fully changing that objects existence. Changing dirt from a solid to a liquid and walking on water by making the molecules of the surface more dense are two good examples. The changed state must be something that already could exist, however.

Blood

- Blood, the life of all living things. To control the blood is to control life, at least of oneself. It is done by filling the veins with mana, which poses the risk of bursting the vessels and arteries. Enhancing movement, reaction and healing speeds are a few of the internal uses blood magic has. Externally, users can expel blood from their bodies, hardening it into bludgeoning or bladed weapons or armor, or using it as projectiles. Using it like this runs high risk of the user dying from blood loss.

Illusion

The ability to manipulate the senses, to alter another's perception of reality. they can be anything from glimmering visual effects, to full blown sensory hallucinations that are nearly impossible to tell from reality. While some may only be able to manipulate another person's senses when they are in physical contact with the target, others can cast illusions from the other side if the world, provided they are able to see their target in real time. Because seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting their work is necessary to create them, illusion users must be careful not to get lost in their own illusions.

Conjuration

- The ability to summon objects or materials from one place in existence to another. It allows one to constantly have access to the things they need, on top of producing weaponry, armor, etc. Conjuration has two separate sections. One is the temporary conjured constructs, like spirutual weapons, and the other are the physical materials summoned through the magical portals known to the magic.

The spiritual weapons are stronger, though because they are just magical constructs, they will not stay as permanent fixtures in the world. It can extend beyond just weapons, typically any physical object can be summoned as a construct. The larger the object being conjured, the longer it will take and the more effort/magical energy it will take. This extends to both sides of the magic.

Enchantment

- To give the qualities of one thing to another. Enchantment is the art of infusing magic into objects, transferring magic from one place to another, giving objects new properties, and even taking away certain qualities from things. A good enchantment mage will keep a supply of magic that can be used to enchant things on their quest, even in combat. An example would be giving a structure the burning quality by granting it fire, causing it to burn down.

Sound

-Sound, the ability to manipulate sound waves and vibrational forces. A user of sound may use these forces as weapons, bending sound to their will. As a physical force, sound as a magic is able to damage its surroundings like a shockwave. By channeling vibrations, a mage can even shatter objects if they are powerful enough.

Sound is more than using a scream, a vibration, etc. Sound is a close companion to illusions, as sound can play a big part in influencing the minds of another.

Plague

- Perhaps the most complex of the magics. Plague is any aspect of sickness and disease. It can range from creating insects to producing sludges/slimes/various other fluids or even gasses. For those who wish to spread disease, that option is available to them. As a complete opposite, plague can be used to cure diseases as well.

Ether

There is always the idea of Ether. Ether is a concept that dates back to the beginning of civilization on Alaris. Ether is the power of one's soul, the essence of who they truly are expressed as magical energy. It exists alongside mana as a core ideal of one's very existence. Depending on various qualities of one's personality, ideals, and the things they hold dear, Ether can manifest in a huge variety of different forms.

Ether channels its essence through the expression of one's personal self, condensing that energy and producing a reaction in the world around them. In some cases, it's not possible to see that reaction, but feel it. One's Ether can change over the course of their life, most often happening in cases of notable shifts of personality and ideals.

While mana typically takes the form of things that can be produced physically, Ether is typically things that are metaphysical, such as the manipulation of gravity, raising the dead, and healing those who have been injured. Like mana, Ether falls into many categories, all based on who someone is and what they believe in.

Necromancy

- Few desire to raise the dead and subjugate them, though notably more desire to return them to death. Whether from malice or mercy, Necromancy is no easy subject for most. It takes a certain type of person to take those resting in peace and drag them into servitude. Many that hold the title Necromancer are the description of the word evil, but there are some who only desire to return the dead to death. Many former followers of the god Asuan turned to restoring the dead to death.

Rage

- The essence of wrath. It has an interesting dichotomy to it as far as those who use it. It could represent the ability to take away the rage of others, or the ability to use one's rage as a weapon to decimate those in their path. Many warriors use the powers of rage, even in spite of their own bodies. It gives them the power they need to keep going, even when their bodies are being torn to pieces. Sometimes its from their own power, or sometimes from the things being unleashed upon their flesh.

A berserk fury normally is composed of an increase in strength and speed above their races typical capabilities, but at the cost of their sanity during the fury or the damage they do to themselves. Because of this drastic increase in strength and speed, there is the very real risk of the user ripping their body apart if they go to extremes. They will not feel it when they do, or any emotions besides rage. They become blind to differences between friend and foe the farther they descend into their madness.

Gravity

- Experienced by those who have heavy, oppressive personalities. The people that weigh on those around them and are generally considered domineering to an uncomfortable degree. The kinds of people that impose their will on those around them. As the name implies, those with Gravity Ether can impose their will in the form of increasing the gravity around them, typically in touch radius or up to a few meters around them.

The exact opposite effect happens with those who are bright and uplifting, where they can use their overwhelming positivity to decrease gravity at the same range. It is the embodiment of how they decrease the burden on others. The effect is strongest at touch range and decays as the distance widens.

Purity

- There are those in every world who are pure of heart, beings practically incapable of inflicting harm on the innocent or performing evil deeds. Many are healers, the kind who advocate and protect others. The desire to spread purity is a badge of honor, something that not just anyone can carry. The users impart their will in the form of purifying, calming energy. These people are often healers as well, repairing mental and physical wounds of those around them. This power extends to cleansing Corruption and dealing with corrupted creatures like Carran.

Corruption

- Saved for the twisted and foul, those who spread Corruption are typically evil or malevolent in some way. The ability to actively harm the world around oneself and use their power to twist reality typically lies with those who have malice in their hearts. Corruption is the intention to harness Bariace’s undying will by mutating using ones energy. Corruption will often manifest as an aubergine essence that makes the skin crawl.

The effects of Corruption are similar to both enchantment and alteration, but any alteration made normally has some side effects. Varying from changes in shape, color, size, etc, most of the changes made are unpredictable. The nature of Corruption itself is unpredictability. The other major side effect is that any change made imparts a magical radiation that is poisonous to all forms of life. It is the same essence present in Atrisea, which lead to the mutated wastelands. To use Corruption is to pervert nature in a motley of different ways.

A Corruption mage will often be someone who already is Corrupted, someone who has been mutated by the radiation or is one of the Inflicted. The reason for this is that the energy itself will mutate the user farther. Most Inflicted will already have a resistance to Corruption and therefore are resistant to further mutation.

Time

- For the overthinkers, those with large amounts of focus, and those who have a tendency to over prepare. Time is the patron for those who are poignant and always achieve their goals as soon as they can. Time mages seem to have an unearthly youth to them, typically being described as looking younger than their apparent age. It can be a double edged sword for long lived races, especially with youth having just reached maturity. Time mages can slow down or speed up the scale of time up to 10 feet from the source of origin of the ability. It is strongest at touch range and is less effective as it reaches the outer threshold. It can range from slowing time to 0.5x the normal speed, or speeding it up to 1.5x the normal speed.

Space

- Space is known for being the perfect aspect for the artists and the detail oriented. Many explorers and adventurers fall here as well, because of their love of travel and efficient use of motion. Space deals with the world around one's self and how that space is used. The ability weaponizes it. This can range from portals of various shapes and sizes, controlling factors within regions of space, warping space around one's self for intangibility, really any method of contorting the boundaries of the living world.

Longing

- When someone feels true pain and desire, it changes them and not always for the better. How one handles that longing is what decides the actual effect of the ability. Longing can take many forms. Some may long for objects, some for companionship, some for things they cant have. Longing as a magic has a focus on getting the things that one wants. Some of it could manifest as an attractive force, or a way to get to something one wants, or even as a method to create the thing that they desire most.

In cases of pain and suffering, the ability could manifest as a different form of sight, to see past their darkness into something new. It could be a method to save others from the pain and suffering one's self has experienced in their past. The one thing that could always be looked down upon, which is using the ability to inflict the same longing on someone else.

Passion

- To be so bright and warm that you can chase away the sadness and longing of others around. To be so passionate that you can seek out everything that you can imagine, and to charge down a path until the very end without pausing. There are many who burn brightly, even in a twisted world like Alaris.

A passionate enough being would be able to inspire those around them, to give them the strength to keep going against all odds. To chase away the darkness and sadness in order to reach their potential. A mage of Passion can use their Ether to keep their allies in battle, on top of being able to pacify negative emotions. Examples of keeping someone in battle could be reducing levels of pain, temporarily giving someone courage, or giving them enough strength to keep charging forward.