While magic is present in Shatterguard, not as common or as powerful as it is in other settings. If your character is a magic user, please keep the following in mind:
Schools of Magic
If your character is a native of Shatterguard and are magically capable, they are likely part of of the two main schools which teach its use: the Voice-Callers or the Sun-Followers.
Voice Callers
The Voice-Caller Temple trains most of the gifted magic users in the realm. Before the Invasion and the Shield Incident, it even drew members from kingdoms other than Shatterguard. Voice-Caller mages recruit those who have exceptional talent, training them through rigorous study to become mages themselves. Not all who apply to the Temple are accepted, as a certain level of innate talent is required. However, it should be noted that anyone with insufficient talent to become a Voice-Caller would not be able to perform even minor feats of magic. They might be able to rustle papers or make small light sparks appear from their fingertips, with concentration, but nothing more.
Voice-Caller Magic requires speech, or at minimum vocalization, in order to activate. This usually comes in the form of spoken commands, such as birn (to cast fire), rīs (to levitate an object), etc. The vocal element is not itself powerful: a non-mage can say the same words, even with the same intent, and have no effect. But it is the trigger necessary for a mage's spell to activate. This is the case with most magic in the setting.
As is also the case with most magic in the setting, Voice-Callers cannot do powerful magic alone. They require another to speak along with them for powerful spells, such as casting a barrier, calling down thunder, making large fireballs, or transforming matter. Therefore, there is no such thing as a solitary mage. No mage can become truly powerful by solo study; it requires others to channel the amounts of magic needed.
Examples of what a solo mage can do with magic: light a candle; create a hand-sized ball of fire which dissipates after a few moments; levitate small objects; cast a minor ward; open unprotected locks or doors; illuminate a small room/area; create a momentary bright flash; heal minor bruising; temporarily seal small wounds.
Examples of what a solo mage cannot do: cast a large fireball; create forceful wind gusts; levitate objects larger than a human adult; cast a ward that will stand up to more than a few weapon blows; open most magical seals; heal serious wounds.
It should also be noted that it is not mandatory for even the magically talented to join one of the temples; however, without some form of training, it is generally impossible to do useful things with magic.
Sun-Followers
NOTE: This is a restricted class. You must obtain permission from JT_the_Ninja before creating a sun-follower character.
The Sun-Followers are an ancient order, established millennia ago, who technically serve no king. However, the Order moved their main temple to Dawnfall, capital city of Shatterguard, after their former center was destroyed during the Corelond Civil War. Their members are largely itinerant, though the Shield Incident did lock most of the ones in Shattergard rather well in place. As devotees of the sun, their function is to serve as "guiding lights for those who must walk in darkness."
Unlike the Voice-Callers, the Sun-Followers have been known to take members even from those not especially magically talented. They do not recruit, instead relying on volunteers who wish to devote themselves to their cause. Occasionally, one rejected by the Voice-Callers will decide to join the Sun-Followers. This is a serious decision, however, as joining the Sun-Followers means leaving one's old life behind entirely and taking on a new identity. New acolytes undergo lengthy training to prepare them for the ritual which grants them the power to wield the sun's light. This ritual transforms the individual, turning the skin or scales obsidian-black and the hair and eyes golden-yellow. The few recorded cases of Rurukaw (bird-people) joining the Order relate that their feathers and talons turned black as well. Rumor suggests this is because the sun-follower is subjected to the full power of the sun, leaving them scorched. The truth, however, is known only to those who have actually gone through the ritual, and is a closely guarded secret.
Sun-followers wear golden bands on their forearms, which allow them to absorb and store sunlight for later use. This is the only type of magic in the setting which does not require a vocal component. It is also significantly more powerful than voice-caller magic, with a single sun-follower being able to do much more than a solo mage. They can create bright balls of sunlight which persist for hours and hover where commanded; gather light to create a blinding flash; create blades of sunlight which they can wield as weapons (though these cannot parry other weapons); and generally cause significant burn damage by themselves. Sun-followers have extended lifespans, aging more slowly and often living for two or three centuries. Therefore, it is quite possible for one who seems young to be significantly older than one might expect.
The primary limitation of sun-followers is that they must recharge their store of energy. As a sun-follower uses sunlight, their reserve is drained, so they must spend time each day refilling it. Even without use, a sun-followers store will gradually run out. At minimum, they must take in sunlight once a week. When low on sunlight, a sun-follower will become physically weaker, feeling physically ill until they take in more light. If a sun-follower's light store is completely depleted, they will die within a few days if more is not taken in.
Another limitation of sun-follower magic is that they cannot use it to heal those outside the Order. It is possible for a sun-follower to self-heal slowly (more slowly the more severe the injury is), or to heal another sun-follower. But the sun's light cannot be used to heal those not like them; it would harm them instead.
Sun-followers are also unable to be come as physically strong as those outside their order. Where an ordinary human or orc might train their bodies to achieve great strength of limb, a sun-follower cannot. They are not frail, generally speaking, but it would be possible to restrain or overpower a sun-follower by physical means, provided one is quick and smart enough, or the sun-follower foolish enough.
Bards
While not all bards are magically talented, many have at least minor talent, and in fact some may even have great talent. As it is not mandatory for the magically talented to join one of the Temples, some have instead put their gifts to use with music. Bardic magic is not truly fully understood, since those who train at Bards' Colleges throughout the land do not study it in its own right. They only study the playing of instruments, singing, and performance. But it is well known that a skilled bard can, through the playing or singing, cause the listeners either to be strengthened and fortified, weakened and disheartened, or even lulled to sleep. It is hypothesized that this is related to the vocal component of voice-caller magic, though even the playing of instruments can have the same effect, depending on the player.
This is not to say that music is inherently magical; only certain bards are able to tap into the magic of music, and it is still largely either not understood or misunderstood. But a good bard can indeed have an effect in serious situations.
Schools of Magic
If your character is a native of Shatterguard and are magically capable, they are likely part of of the two main schools which teach its use: the Voice-Callers or the Sun-Followers.
Voice Callers
The Voice-Caller Temple trains most of the gifted magic users in the realm. Before the Invasion and the Shield Incident, it even drew members from kingdoms other than Shatterguard. Voice-Caller mages recruit those who have exceptional talent, training them through rigorous study to become mages themselves. Not all who apply to the Temple are accepted, as a certain level of innate talent is required. However, it should be noted that anyone with insufficient talent to become a Voice-Caller would not be able to perform even minor feats of magic. They might be able to rustle papers or make small light sparks appear from their fingertips, with concentration, but nothing more.
Voice-Caller Magic requires speech, or at minimum vocalization, in order to activate. This usually comes in the form of spoken commands, such as birn (to cast fire), rīs (to levitate an object), etc. The vocal element is not itself powerful: a non-mage can say the same words, even with the same intent, and have no effect. But it is the trigger necessary for a mage's spell to activate. This is the case with most magic in the setting.
As is also the case with most magic in the setting, Voice-Callers cannot do powerful magic alone. They require another to speak along with them for powerful spells, such as casting a barrier, calling down thunder, making large fireballs, or transforming matter. Therefore, there is no such thing as a solitary mage. No mage can become truly powerful by solo study; it requires others to channel the amounts of magic needed.
Examples of what a solo mage can do with magic: light a candle; create a hand-sized ball of fire which dissipates after a few moments; levitate small objects; cast a minor ward; open unprotected locks or doors; illuminate a small room/area; create a momentary bright flash; heal minor bruising; temporarily seal small wounds.
Examples of what a solo mage cannot do: cast a large fireball; create forceful wind gusts; levitate objects larger than a human adult; cast a ward that will stand up to more than a few weapon blows; open most magical seals; heal serious wounds.
It should also be noted that it is not mandatory for even the magically talented to join one of the temples; however, without some form of training, it is generally impossible to do useful things with magic.
Sun-Followers
NOTE: This is a restricted class. You must obtain permission from JT_the_Ninja before creating a sun-follower character.
The Sun-Followers are an ancient order, established millennia ago, who technically serve no king. However, the Order moved their main temple to Dawnfall, capital city of Shatterguard, after their former center was destroyed during the Corelond Civil War. Their members are largely itinerant, though the Shield Incident did lock most of the ones in Shattergard rather well in place. As devotees of the sun, their function is to serve as "guiding lights for those who must walk in darkness."
Unlike the Voice-Callers, the Sun-Followers have been known to take members even from those not especially magically talented. They do not recruit, instead relying on volunteers who wish to devote themselves to their cause. Occasionally, one rejected by the Voice-Callers will decide to join the Sun-Followers. This is a serious decision, however, as joining the Sun-Followers means leaving one's old life behind entirely and taking on a new identity. New acolytes undergo lengthy training to prepare them for the ritual which grants them the power to wield the sun's light. This ritual transforms the individual, turning the skin or scales obsidian-black and the hair and eyes golden-yellow. The few recorded cases of Rurukaw (bird-people) joining the Order relate that their feathers and talons turned black as well. Rumor suggests this is because the sun-follower is subjected to the full power of the sun, leaving them scorched. The truth, however, is known only to those who have actually gone through the ritual, and is a closely guarded secret.
Sun-followers wear golden bands on their forearms, which allow them to absorb and store sunlight for later use. This is the only type of magic in the setting which does not require a vocal component. It is also significantly more powerful than voice-caller magic, with a single sun-follower being able to do much more than a solo mage. They can create bright balls of sunlight which persist for hours and hover where commanded; gather light to create a blinding flash; create blades of sunlight which they can wield as weapons (though these cannot parry other weapons); and generally cause significant burn damage by themselves. Sun-followers have extended lifespans, aging more slowly and often living for two or three centuries. Therefore, it is quite possible for one who seems young to be significantly older than one might expect.
The primary limitation of sun-followers is that they must recharge their store of energy. As a sun-follower uses sunlight, their reserve is drained, so they must spend time each day refilling it. Even without use, a sun-followers store will gradually run out. At minimum, they must take in sunlight once a week. When low on sunlight, a sun-follower will become physically weaker, feeling physically ill until they take in more light. If a sun-follower's light store is completely depleted, they will die within a few days if more is not taken in.
Another limitation of sun-follower magic is that they cannot use it to heal those outside the Order. It is possible for a sun-follower to self-heal slowly (more slowly the more severe the injury is), or to heal another sun-follower. But the sun's light cannot be used to heal those not like them; it would harm them instead.
Sun-followers are also unable to be come as physically strong as those outside their order. Where an ordinary human or orc might train their bodies to achieve great strength of limb, a sun-follower cannot. They are not frail, generally speaking, but it would be possible to restrain or overpower a sun-follower by physical means, provided one is quick and smart enough, or the sun-follower foolish enough.
Bards
While not all bards are magically talented, many have at least minor talent, and in fact some may even have great talent. As it is not mandatory for the magically talented to join one of the Temples, some have instead put their gifts to use with music. Bardic magic is not truly fully understood, since those who train at Bards' Colleges throughout the land do not study it in its own right. They only study the playing of instruments, singing, and performance. But it is well known that a skilled bard can, through the playing or singing, cause the listeners either to be strengthened and fortified, weakened and disheartened, or even lulled to sleep. It is hypothesized that this is related to the vocal component of voice-caller magic, though even the playing of instruments can have the same effect, depending on the player.
This is not to say that music is inherently magical; only certain bards are able to tap into the magic of music, and it is still largely either not understood or misunderstood. But a good bard can indeed have an effect in serious situations.
Magic Users from Other Settings
If your character has come to Shatterguard from another dimension or setting, please note that upon entry their level of magic ability will be reduced to that of a typical magic user in the setting. Therefore, they may find that they are suddenly unable to cast anything powerful without the assistance of someone else. It is possible for a Voice-Caller to provide magical assistance to a non-Voice-Caller, so long as they work in unison. But please be aware that incoming characters will almost certainly not be as powerful as you are used to them being by themselves.
Supernatural creatures/Elementals
Supernatural/immortal beings (angels, demigods, demons, etc.) or elemental beings who find their way to Shatterguard will become mortal-kind, though magically talented, upon entry. The player may pick their race, and the character may react to the sudden physical change. Once they leave the setting, they can return to their former being. But they will be mortal and as limited in magic as any other character within the setting.
If your character has come to Shatterguard from another dimension or setting, please note that upon entry their level of magic ability will be reduced to that of a typical magic user in the setting. Therefore, they may find that they are suddenly unable to cast anything powerful without the assistance of someone else. It is possible for a Voice-Caller to provide magical assistance to a non-Voice-Caller, so long as they work in unison. But please be aware that incoming characters will almost certainly not be as powerful as you are used to them being by themselves.
Supernatural creatures/Elementals
Supernatural/immortal beings (angels, demigods, demons, etc.) or elemental beings who find their way to Shatterguard will become mortal-kind, though magically talented, upon entry. The player may pick their race, and the character may react to the sudden physical change. Once they leave the setting, they can return to their former being. But they will be mortal and as limited in magic as any other character within the setting.
How Common Is Magic?
Ignoring the ever-present Glittering Shield, most inhabitants of Shatterguard may see something magical on a fairly consistent basis, though more often in the city than in towns or countryside. There is no magic-infused technology, but trained Voice-caller mages and Sun-followers are often employed to assist with daily life in a society fractured and broken and trying to keep going. Some experimental devices have been created whereby a mage can speak the elements of a spell into a holding container. A different user, whether capable of magic or not, may then activate the device by means of a switch and a password (Voice-caller magic requires speech). These are still in rudimentary form, however, and have a small chance of failure. Soldiers are trained in dealing with magic, and many have orcish-made armor which can resist magical attacks. Therefore magic is an augment, but not a necessity, in combat.
In Humans: Around 8-10% of the human population will have at least some natural aptitude in magic, though many may not realize it, and fewer still (~1-2%) will have the talent needed to study at Voice-caller temple and become a mage. Others may decide to join the Sun-follower temple, where if accepted and trained they will gain the power to wield the light of the sun in limited capacity. But the vast majority of humans will have no magical skill or even ability.
In Elves: Roughly 80% of ælfas will have some magical ability. However, even while it is more likely for an elf to be magicapable, one is far less likely to have a high aptitude. By comparison, it is much rarer for humans to have magic than elves, but those who do will on average be more powerful. Very rare is the case of an elf becoming a powerful mage. Therefore, elves typically use magic solely among themselves, and there is no real stigma among the alfen-kind to having no ability at all (especially if one can cook well).
In Orcs: Roughly 5% of lihtorgas (light-orcs) will have magical ability. It is rumoured, but not confirmed, that magic is more common among the dradorgas (dread-orcs). Orc magic is typically limited to making, however, so many magical orcs choose to use their ability in their craftwork instead of becoming mages. Some others will instead choose to join the Sun-followers.
In Lizard-Folk: The krahtari (lizard-folk) are unfortunately unable to perform magic, with the exception that all lizard-folk are able to heal themselves slowly while submerged in water. This can be detected as magic use, but it is not under the conscious control of the user. It also does not interfere with another’s use of healing magic on the same target. In fact, when a group of krahtari are huddled close together in the water, their healing is accelerated. The source of this is unknown.
In Bird-Folk: The rurukaw (bird-folk) have no ability to perform magic, much like the krahtari. However, they all have limited ability to send brief (at most 3-second) visions of what they currently see to another person.
Ignoring the ever-present Glittering Shield, most inhabitants of Shatterguard may see something magical on a fairly consistent basis, though more often in the city than in towns or countryside. There is no magic-infused technology, but trained Voice-caller mages and Sun-followers are often employed to assist with daily life in a society fractured and broken and trying to keep going. Some experimental devices have been created whereby a mage can speak the elements of a spell into a holding container. A different user, whether capable of magic or not, may then activate the device by means of a switch and a password (Voice-caller magic requires speech). These are still in rudimentary form, however, and have a small chance of failure. Soldiers are trained in dealing with magic, and many have orcish-made armor which can resist magical attacks. Therefore magic is an augment, but not a necessity, in combat.
In Humans: Around 8-10% of the human population will have at least some natural aptitude in magic, though many may not realize it, and fewer still (~1-2%) will have the talent needed to study at Voice-caller temple and become a mage. Others may decide to join the Sun-follower temple, where if accepted and trained they will gain the power to wield the light of the sun in limited capacity. But the vast majority of humans will have no magical skill or even ability.
In Elves: Roughly 80% of ælfas will have some magical ability. However, even while it is more likely for an elf to be magicapable, one is far less likely to have a high aptitude. By comparison, it is much rarer for humans to have magic than elves, but those who do will on average be more powerful. Very rare is the case of an elf becoming a powerful mage. Therefore, elves typically use magic solely among themselves, and there is no real stigma among the alfen-kind to having no ability at all (especially if one can cook well).
In Orcs: Roughly 5% of lihtorgas (light-orcs) will have magical ability. It is rumoured, but not confirmed, that magic is more common among the dradorgas (dread-orcs). Orc magic is typically limited to making, however, so many magical orcs choose to use their ability in their craftwork instead of becoming mages. Some others will instead choose to join the Sun-followers.
In Lizard-Folk: The krahtari (lizard-folk) are unfortunately unable to perform magic, with the exception that all lizard-folk are able to heal themselves slowly while submerged in water. This can be detected as magic use, but it is not under the conscious control of the user. It also does not interfere with another’s use of healing magic on the same target. In fact, when a group of krahtari are huddled close together in the water, their healing is accelerated. The source of this is unknown.
In Bird-Folk: The rurukaw (bird-folk) have no ability to perform magic, much like the krahtari. However, they all have limited ability to send brief (at most 3-second) visions of what they currently see to another person.
Moderators: JT_the_Ninja