[b][i]Practices and Procedures: An Urban Fantasy RP - Lore Document[/i][/b]

[b]I. Intro[/b]

[hider=How it all Began]
For centuries, Magi have been divided, not just by creed, culture, and bloodline, but also by the methods they use to shape their destinies and others'.

The dominant faction of Magi/Spellcasters used to be the [b]Traditionalists[/b], who use Magic 'the old way', with rituals, words, and gestures. Channeling Mana through their very bodies, they were great heroes and sages, villains and schemers; the superhuman feats they were capable of were able to protect and victimize mortals in equal measure.

But then a movement called the [b]Enlightened Inventors[/b] discovered how to infuse Mana into tools and machines, and in so doing, create wonders that can be used by [i]anyone[/i] and given to common man. This shook supernatural society to the core, especially as many of the Enlightened Inventors came from people who had little to no magical talent and thus had a grudge against the older dynasties of Traditionalist Magi.

Soon, many Magi and Ordinary Mortals began to form sides for or against the Inventors; and war soon came - It was unknown who struck first, but the Shadow War lasted for centuries, with many Enlightened Inventors convincing themselves that what they were doing was not [i]really[/i] Magic, but 'Hyper-advanced Science', further deepening the divide.

The Traditionalists used fireballs and plagues; the Enlightened used guns, cannons, and mass-produced steel. This 'Shadow War' continued until the year 1999, when a group of teenagers and children, kidnapped from Traditionalist families by an organization of Enlightened Inventors as part of a 're-education project', found out they can use [i]both[/i] the Traditionalist Magic of their childhood and craft the Enlightened Inventors' 'Hypertech'. They broke out, and in a series of adventures, defeated the strongest and most influential Traditionalist leaders and their Enlightened counterparts and took over leadership of the hidden world in the shadows, the 'world of intrigues', for themselves.

Now it is 2023, and the state of Humanity has much changed from how it should have been. Magic and the Supernatural are slowly being revealed to the world, former enemies are working together to keep the peace, and the 'Peace Children' who had caused this have settled down to new and happy lives.

However, not all is well - Those who lost out in the new order of things or cling to old hatreds still plot in the shadows, and whispers have been heard of a 'Great Corruption' that can yet ruin everything Humanity has achieved...
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[b]II. Magic System[/b]

[hider=How Magic Works]
There are two disciplines of Magic, defined by human belief. However, in this universe, just because people's belief can make Magic work does not mean that Reality is relativistic; objective, observable reality still exists despite being changeable by Magic, which in turn has limits.

[b]Traditionalist/Ceremonial[/b] - Traditionalists use words, rituals, and symbolic objects (aka items which are less practical than current tech, such amulets and totems) in order to cast powerful spells which defy scientific understanding, like fireballs, instant healing, and blessings/curses. The advantage of this is that Traditionalists can use their magic right away, with just a word or gesture, they don't actually need the items they use, and they can do things without advanced technology or which are still impossible with current science. In short, what they lack in the reach and range of their effects, they more than makeup for by being their own tools in an emergency.

[b]"Enlightened Invention"[/b] - Enlightened Inventors used to believe that their Magic isn't Magic at all but 'Hyperradvanced Technology', and some of them still believe it today. But the truth is that their inventions, though recognizably technology, still use Mana, the reality-altering substance which allows Magic to exist in the first place. However, Magitech has one big advantage over Traditionalist/Ceremonial powers: Anyone can use it even if they are not an Enlightened Inventor and it can be combined with actual technology to create mass-produced wonders. [i]However[/i], the drawback is that without tools, objects, or anything resembling technology, an 'Enlightened Inventor' is useless (unless they specialize in hyper-psychology, in which case they can make the perfect brainwashing technique or give themselves perfect memories).

An Enlightened Inventor, if given a workshop/laboratory, can create 'Hypertech/Magitech' that [i]anyone[/i], including Traditionalists and Normal Humans, can use, but only they or other Enlightened can manufacture, repair, and invent new forms of 'Hypertech/Magitech'. 

Hypertech/Magictech must also fit a certain aesthetic, one that evokes Science and Technology (or less charitably, what the public [i]thinks[/i] is Science), for it to work. This is because Enlightened Inventors gain their power from belief in Human Reason and its ability to solve problems (belief in Reason, however, is not the same as actual Reason, which says that Hypertech/Magitech is too advanced to exist now).

As for why Traditionalist and Enlightened methods are incompatible, it comes from a combination of radically different mindsets and philosophies plus most Magi meet each other only as adults, who mostly lack the neuroplasticity needed to handle both styles of Magic.

The only known way around this restriction involves the Mage being trained while still young before their brain fully develops. This allows the Mage to switch between the radically different mindsets needed to use both ways of Spellcasting...
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[hider=What Can Magic Do?]
Mages (both Traditionalists and Enlightened) divide Reality into eight areas, six of which can be affected by Magic, and two of which cannot except in very rare circumstances. The six 'Open Areas' are High, Underworld, Mind, World, Change, and Dimensional, while the two forbidden ones are Fate and Timespace.

[b]High[/b] - There are many theories that try to explain High Magic. Some say that it is the power of The Divine, it is the power of positive emotions, channeled through the human soul. Nevertheless, High Magic is the power of controlling Magical Energy itself, allowing for the ability to see all Magic, to draw available magical energy from the sky and earth, create constructs of condensed Mana, fuel magitech and create enchanted items, ward people and places from magic, and finally, the ability to create bolts of silver-white light that cause damage that cannot be healed by magic to Mages and Magical creatures... But not ordinary targets, whose burns can be healed as normal.

[b]Mind[/b] - This magic deals with controlling minds and altering the emotions of both humans and animals, as well as creating illusions, mental compulsions, and even erasing or editing memories. This can also alter one's own mind to temporarily increase learning time and allow for a perfect memory. A very powerful magical discipline, but its flaw is that it can be resisted with strong willpower.

[b]Underworld[/b] -  Death is all around us, and the old laws against disturbing the ghosts who chose not to pass on are gone, cast into the wind. Nevertheless, the souls of the departed have to be treated with respect, but it is not the same for their bodies. Underworld Magic is the magic of Necromancy; it is the magic you wield when you want to raise an army of the dead, control the shadows of the world, speak with ghosts, and strike people dead with one blow (this is a high-level spell). You can even use this to transcend death, allowing you continued existence in this world without the need for food, drink, and sleep...

[b]World[/b] - World Magic is control over the physical elements of the world. Do you want to create Fire? World Magic. Do you want to alter Gravity to make yourself float? World Magic. Do you want to use lightning to electrocute a person? World Magic. Basically, if it has nothing to do with changing one thing to another, or controlling something that isn't wholly of this earth? World Magic is your key. Basically, Bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but without healing or spiritual arts and with control over gravity.

[b]Change[/b] - This is the magic that deals with changing one thing to another. This magic can knit wounds and reverse aging, cause trees to grow fists, and turn vines into whips. This magic can change one substance to another, turning lead into gold, earth into acid, and fire into water. What it cannot do, however, is affect stuff protected by High magic, or reanimate/control beings that are already dead.

[b]Dimensional[/b] - This is the Magic that allows access to Hyperspace, which Traditionalists call the Astral Plane, the Spirit World, or the Otherworld. Basically, Dimensional allows one to create portals, summon and make contracts with Nature Spirits (if the GM rules that they exist). However, the drawback of Dimensional-based spells (aside from the portals [i]always[/i] having a revealing glow or other 'special effect') is that Nature Spirits have wills of their own and look very badly at people trying to order them around...

[b]Note:[/b] A lot of individual spells are very broken by nature, and would fundamentally destroy the game’s balance if implemented. If you’re touching these spells, please make sure you have some limitations added to them. If you’re not sure, look no further than your GMs! They will be happy to answer your question/address the balancing of your powers. 
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[hider=The Forbidden Areas]

The Forbidden Areas cannot be affected by Magic through normal means, but in theory, one can 'touch' them by spending a huge amount of resources to build artificial structures that channel a huge amount of Mana (the Tower of Babel, the entire City of Atlantis), and said Mana can be provided by blood sacrifices (of millions, even billions, of humans and animals). Even then, it is unknown how powerful the spells cast using such methods are; it is perfectly possible that one can sacrifice half the world population and only get a minor effect (such as resetting the timeline for half a minute).

Also, depending on GM discretion (I am allowing people to use this setting if they ask permission), the Forbidden Areas may not actually [i]exist[/i].

[b]Fate[/b] - Alters luck and probability and allows for blessing one's efforts so that they succeed, or cursing them so that they always fail or carry a high cost.

[b]Timespace[/b] - Time travel, time stop, and true bullet time (actually slowing down time instead of just one's perception of it and ability to physically respond to it). Making physical distances longer and shorter without using Hyperspace/The Astral Plane. Flawless Teleportation where you can instantly appear without any warning signs, such as the color and light made by portals (which using the Dimensional School of Magic always gives).

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[hider=Spell Mastery]
[b]Spell Mastery[/b] 

Pretty self-explanatory. Each spell your character possesses has its own degree of mastery. The more you master a spell, the less effort (Mana, Time, other relevant resources) it takes to perform that spell. If you have enough spells from the same school mastered, you can choose to make it a <Magic Area> Mastery trait. How many spells, you ask? That depends if you are a Traditionalist or Enlightened Inventor; Traditionalists can master any Area they have 3+ Spells in, and furthermore [i]instantly[/i] cast spells in that Area with only words and gestures. Enlightened Inventors, meanwhile, can master as many Areas of Magic as they have Spells (which they call 'Functions'), but each Spell/Function has to be tied to an advanced gadget/weapon and they lose their Mastery when losing said gadget.

And yes, an Enlightened Inventor can put [i]all[/i] their available Spells/Functions into one gadget.

[b]How long is it going to take to master a spell:[/b] This gives me headaches every time. It really depends. From the length of an arc to the number of times the character practices/uses these spells. I’d say on average 1 spell is mastered every arc as a benchmark, but don’t take this as a gospel. Use a LOT of nuances when interpreting this. We’ll try to adjust and accommodate your needs, just let us know.
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[hider=Enchantment Rules]
[b]Enchantment Rules[/b]

For Traditionalists, Enchantment requires High Magic and a spell that you or another party member knows, along with an item to be enchanted. Note however that the weaker and less durable the material is, the magic you can put into it is more limited; for example, oak can be enchanted to emit laser beams, birch cannot. This is the same for metals, and the strongest of spells can only be enchanted into 'Perfected Electrum (more below)'.

For Enlightened Inventors, Enchantment is merely the creation of new gadgets and the addition of new 'Functions' to an existing one, and they do [i]not[/i] need High Magic to do this. However, they do need a workshop and materials and their works must at least look like advanced technology...
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[hider=Perfected Electrum]
[b]Perfected Electrum[/b]

Electrum is a mix of Gold and Silver that occurs naturally but can be made by artificial means. This material, if treated by High and Change Magic by four different Magi can be 'perfected', aka transformed into metal as hard as a diamond yet not as brittle, and whose lightness is that of cloth. But the most valuable property of Perfected Electrum is that it can contain very, very strong spells, except for Resurrection. The Millenium Academy currently has a monopoly over the creation of Perfected Electrum; having taken it away from various organizations of Enlightened Inventors who lost the 'Shadow War' that they ended.
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[hider=Group Spells/Projects]
[b]Group Spells/Projects[/b]

Basically, multiple spell-casters with different areas can do things that would strain a single Mage. This also helps in compensating for a single Magi's weaknesses in the specialization. Note that Traditionalists can only do Group Spells with each other, the same for Enlightened Inventors, who call their spells 'Projects'.
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[b]III. Trading Humanity - From Vampires to Cyborgs (And Cyborg Vampires!)[/b]

[hider=Power at a Price]In this universe, Vampires, Werecreatures, and other 'Monsters' come from Magi who have chosen to sacrifice part or all of Humanity to take on 'Drawbacks', a weakness innate to one's nature such as a weakness to sunlight or silver in exchange for 'Traits', physical benefits that often but not always include 'immortality'. This is done through High and Change Magic plus Underworld if one wants to be an undead (Vampire, Lich, Mummy). 

And by that, becoming a Vampire is as simple as doing a ritual that makes you thirst for blood and burn in sunlight in exchange for near-immortality and super strength, becoming a Werewolf (or even a Werebear) involves taking on animal instincts and being poisoned by silver or gold in exchange for being able to turn to a seven-foot tall beastman who can claw through concrete walls, and Enlightened Inventors can get in the fun too by creating Cyberware and Gene-mods that can drain your empathy or otherwise mess up your head in exchange for being a badass cyborg or genetically-modified super soldier.

Optional: As the role of Mythology/Religion in this setting is left up to the GM (I'm lending this universe out to anyone who asks me for permission), a GM can legitimately say that Angels/Demons/Gods are in fact Mages. However, for the purposes of [i]my[/i] take in it, there is a God/Gods, Spirits, other dimensions, and an afterlife/afterlives.
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[b]IV. Organizations[/b]

[hider=The Millenium Academy]

Founded on the last night of 1999 and the first day of 2000 by the 'Peace Children', the Millenium Academy is an institute where Traditionalists and Enlightened can drop their differences for a while and work together to educate their children in the ways of peace, teaching them to conjure springs of water and fix weather machines. 

Although it has branches all over the world, its founders chose to have their HQ be in [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Clark_City]New Clark City, Philippines[/url], an HQ that hosts sprawling facilities for everything from physical education, academics, and of course, training fields and workshops for learning various forms of Magic. It even has a Nuclear Fusion Reactor that it lends to the Philippine Government, fixing most of the Third World Country's energy needs for the time being.

Other prominent branches are in London, Venice, Athens and New York; the specifics of those branches are a blank slate for people to fill in, and people can make up their own branch too.

The Millenium Academy's faculty and graduated students have great influence in the supernatural and real worlds, an influence that, as Magic is slowly revealed, is being resented by an increasing number of people.
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[hider=The Committee of Public Safety]
Diehard Enlightened Inventors, backed by Nonmagi Politicians, CEOs, and Financiers who believe that the 'Peace Children' and the Millenium Academy they founded are threats to a 'Rational Humanity'. Rejecting the notion that their Hyper-advanced tech is actually just another form of Magic despite [i]the scientific method itself proving them wrong[/i], the Committee is willing to commit torture, murder, and break numerous legal and moral laws to get rid of the 'Peace Children' and gain dominion over the world for the latter's own safety...
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[hider=The Thorns of Rejection]
The Committee of Public Safety's Traditionalist Counterparts, the Thorns reject the meaninglessness and alienation of modern life and the alleged 'atomization of society'... Through terrorism. Regarding technology and automation as undermining the traditions and beliefs that Magi have held since time immemorial, the Thorns see the 'Peace Children' as mongrels and the road of cooperation and compromise promoted by the Millenium Academy as 'weakness'. Nevertheless, the Millenium Academy won the grand majority of fights and skirmishes they fought in with them, much to their humiliation.
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[hider=The Infinite Possibilities]
'Unnamable' Mages who believe that they can tap into Timespace Magic to 'reset' the universe into a world without suffering by murdering millions, and who also believe that they can do [i]whatever they want[/i], including war crimes, as the sins they committed will be wiped away anyway when the universe is reset. Recruiting from people who want to commit any crime they want [i]as well[/i] as people who want to erase their crimes as they feel they cannot atone for them, the Great Corruption is a growing threat due to combining a genuinely appealing ideology with the opportunity to do whatever they want with impunity...

Optional: Depending on the GM, these are the 'Great Corruption' whispered about in the intro.
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GMs who ask for permission to use the setting can add their own organizations, such as Corporations, Political Parties, Mercenaries and Churches.

[b]V. Character Creation Rules for Peace Children, Traditionalists, Enlightened Inventors, and Normal Humans[/b]

[hider=How to make Peace Children]
1.) The First Generation of Peace Children were born in the 80s, had their adventures in the 90s, and settled into adult life in the 00s and raised families in the following decades (present day is 2023). There are only 20 -24 surviving Peace Children out of 36, and the oldest is 42 years of age (but can look much younger if they want).

2.) The Second Generation of Peace Children were born in the 00s, and are attending school or beginning their adult lives in the 00s. They are generally 16 - 18, with the oldest being 23.

3.) There is a Third Generation of Peace Children growing up, born in the early 010s. These are 1 to 13 years old and it is advised to make only the 13-year-olds playable if at all.

3.) Peace Children of both generations can use both Traditionalist Magic and repair/create Enlightened Inventions.
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[hider=How to make Traditionalists]
1.) Traditionalists can be of any race, culture, and creed, as long as they use rituals, ceremonies, and invoke higher powers/forces to conduct their magic.

2.) Traditionalists can be of any age allowed by the GM, just use [i]common sense[/i] and what your players will tolerate.

3.) You cannot be a major religious or historical figure, and claiming that major religious figures are in fact Traditionalist Mages invites controversy, sometimes violent, and so is a no-no and permission to use my setting will be denied if you do that. And as said above, God/The Gods exist in my version of the setting.
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[hider=How to make Enlightened]
1.) Enlightened can be of any race and starting culture, but maintain a belief in the importance of Science and Reason, even if the scientific method explicitly states that their inventions don't actually work without Mana or would take centuries to work without Mana.

2.) Enlightened Inventors can be of any age allowed by the GM, just use [i]common sense[/i] and what your players will tolerate.

3.) You cannot be a major historical figure or claim that a major historical figure is actually an Enlightened Inventor. Nor can you claim that controversial figures such as Hitler or Stalin or Mengele are Enlightened Inventors; permission to use my setting will be denied if I hear you do that.

4.) Anyone can learn how to use weapons you invent/create/maintain, including Traditionalists and Normal Humans.
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[hider=How to make a Normal Human]
1.) Normal Humans can use Enlightened Inventions, but cannot repair or maintain them.

2.) In RPs with a Points System for posting, Normal Humans earn twice as much points to reflect their political and economic influence, and should be the only ones who can [i]transfer[/i] points to another character's account to reflect their control of banking systems.

3.) Normal Humans can become Mages, including Peace Children if they are young enough. This can be done in any way the GM wants, including making them conduct a quest or spend points. It is recommended that Normal Humans who gain Magic lose the ability to earn extra points and transfer them if you're using a Points System.
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Note: AIs are NPC-only for now, at least in my specific version of the RP-verse.

[b]VI. Basics of the World[/b]

[hider=Differences since 1999 - 2000]
The War on Terror was delayed by the Millenium Academy preventing the attacks on New York in late 2001; the Twin Towers still stand here. Due to this, America avoided getting into several wars and interventions and thus slowed down the decline of its power and the exhaustion of the goodwill which the international community had for it. This also resulted in the optimism of the 90s continuing for far longer, until 2005 or 2008.

However, there was still a Great Recession as Magic and Hypertech cannot just wish away various economic problems. In fact, in some places, Hypertech and Magic made things worse by replacing jobs faster. The Millenium Academy has attempted to curb this, but with mixed results and people are still growing poorer.

Large Corporations are recruiting Magi of both types and Peace Children get the most pay and benefits. This has caused resentment for obvious reasons, and thus the Commitee of Public Safety and Thorns of Rejection recieve more recruits and support as a result. Anti-Mage groups of ordinary Humans are also forming, using continued Normal Human control of the banking and finance systems to consolidate support.

Gay Marriage was made legal 2 years before it was in real life, in 2012 instead of 2014.

Technology is 10 years ahead of IRL in countries where there is a Millenium Academy branch.

China and Russia are still powerful, but a stronger US has curbed their ambitions... for now.

Mages of either type are admired, but any attempt by them to enter politics is opposed by normal humans. The 2016 US Presidential Campaign had Anti-Mage candidates running in both parties' primaries and either of them winning was barely averted by a hair-thin vote.

Yes, Magic is used to do crime. The Mafia, Yakuza, and Triads and other groups have Mages.
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[hider=Differences before 1999 - 2000]
The Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican Churches have had 'Exorcists', a mix of Normal People with strong willpower and religiously-minded Traditionalist Magi whose traditions are rooted in prayer and Church-sanctioned rituals, who hunt down other Magi and 'Monsters'. For the purposes of my future RPs, I will only elaborate if expressly asked as I do not want controversy.

Enlightened Inventors became their own movement just before the Renaissance; fair warning, though, when asking if major historical figures are Enlightened Inventors, make sure to remember the Character Rules.

An exception to the Character Rules: Valentinus, one of the early Gnostics, was reputed to be a Sorcerer in legends. He is thus a Traditionalist Mage in this RP and an Arch-Heretic in the current Churches' eyes.
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