TheHangedMan

Progressive Arcanum

Thanks for your interest~! Now, on to answer some questions:

@Wanderer of Philosophy In theory, what you've described is possible, but ultimately it would be pointless. Whether you're using Mana itself or casting a spell (the two cannot happen together, as the existence of Mana itself destroys a spells composition) the two would cancel each other out. Not to mention that Mana has to be pulled from an outside source, and large quantities of Mana rarely exist in a single place.

There is a very, very, very rare case of people being born that are somehow able to produce Mana from their bodies, however those cases die in infancy, at most they live until five years old. Further details are a plot point, so I will stop here, if you don't mind :)

@Zeroth In terms of movement, I was thinking more Avatar but with less martial arts - think basketball or tennis motions. On staffs and wands; those are tools that exist to simplify movement and facilitate an easier transition of energy to the outside. The downside, however, is that wands and staves cannot be used to exhibit more complex spells, which require require a wider range of movement.

The Age of Blades [ALWAYS ACCEPTING]

@Partisan PM'ed you, my good man :D Anyhow, I've already thought of several ways for an assassin to make good with the setting, which is why I asked if it was possible to make one.

The Age of Blades [ALWAYS ACCEPTING]

@Partisan What are your thoughts on an assassin for a character? I have one patterned out after Vlad Taltos of the Draegara series, however I'm unsure what the use of an assassin could be in your setting or if it's even allowed. What do you think? :D

Progressive Arcanum

Yahoo~! A recreation of my old RP, which I never got around to remaking when the guild went up!

Anyhow, here are details that are specific on things for this RP:

• Detailed magic system (but I won't be too strict on this)
• Various and specific styles and branches of magic.
• Teamwork, social-standing, and interaction is important.
• A detailed back-story is essential. The reasons for your character learning magic is essential at some points.
• Lots of random NPC's will pop-up to mess with your character (generally controlled by me, though you can do the same if necessary for character development)

Premise

In the world of Tadhana, the study of magic reigns supreme. Though science has never been ignored, magic has had a head start of 5000 years of study - the ancient art has been with humanity since the dawn of it's first civilization. It has been integrated to the extant that it has a use for practically anything.

In response to the need of society for magic, plenty of countries have established many Academy's in an effort to increase the population of competent Magic-users, known at large as 'Magestrava' (pronounced 'Maje-stru-vah') or 'Magistravi' ('Majy-stra-veeh') in plural. The quality and curriculum of each Academy vary, but the particular focus this time is Aledine Public College.

Aledine Public College is located in the country of Lismos, in the continent of Feledia, and is known to be a school of ill-repute, and one of the only Academies that teaches regular people alongside the Magestrava. Regular people that attend there, however, do not study magic, but instead focus their time on general studies such as politics and economics.

Magic Units

There are four basic units or energies of magic. Each energy has a specific use, and spontaneous use of [an energy] without a distinct purpose is known as magic. Magestrava are humans that can access and mold these energies for a specific use. This is commonly known as spellwork or spell casting.

The four units of energy are collectively known as the Maian or energy. They are:

• Xi - Physical energy that boosts the power of the body or powers raw spells that interact with the physical world. It is generated from the heart and overuse of it could cause heart-attacks or full-body paralysis.
• Sakra - Energy for the mind that is needed for things like clairvoyance, mind-reading and telepathy. It's source is from the brain, and overuse of this Maian can cause insanity or blindness.
• Karma - Energy from nature that is required to cast elemental spells. Overuse can cause liquification, spontaneous combustion, petrification, dehydration and others.
• Mana - Known also as Supremes Maians or the supreme energy, Mana has no other use asides destroying the other three energies and recycling them into new forms. No living creature can use Mana without side-effects, as it destroys all the energy in your body. The source of Mana is said to come from the stars, but no-one is quite sure of it.

Much like exercise, the more one uses and trains in the use of a specific Maian, the more proficient one can get, and the less you run the risk of energy feedback.

Xi and Sakra have no visible effects to their surrounding no matter the quantity. This is because this is an energy that comes from and is controlled purely by the one who generates it and due to this are known as Inner Maian's. It is different with Mana and Karma though, because they are what is known as Outer Maian's, and if large quantities of them gather, they do have affect their surroundings.

For a spell to form, it is an absolute must to combine the different energies. For example, to create a simple fireball, you have to balance a mix of Karma, Xi, and Sakra. Why is this so? Karma is so you can effectively dye your spell with an element so it can become 'fire', while Sakra is the sort of 'blueprint' for your spell, and is needed to give it specific instructions and shape, and Xi is needed so the spell actually comes to life and so you can control it; essentially, Xi is the fuel of the spell.

Depending on the amount mixed together and the composition, what looks like the same spell would actually be used for completely different purposes. To demonstrate:

A fireball with a heavier focus on Xi rather than Sakra and Karma will be extremely powerful, if a bit unstable.
A fireball with a heavier focus on Sakra rather than Xi or Karma will be useful in countering other spell of the same type, as it is more stable.
A fireball with a heavier focus on Karma rather than Xi or Sakra will be weak to spells acting against it, however will be more effective in dealing with natural forces or creatures.

As such, one must have good control over the three energies and an ample awareness of the situation. Each energy has a use and depending on the situation, one has to be careful of how the energies are used.

Styles of Magic

Alchemy - The simplest and most straightforward branch of magic. It's focus is on give-and-take relationships between materials and their effects. Students of this branch create potions or enchanted items, usually en-mass. Advanced studies of Alchemy work with living objects, and intertwines commonly with Necromancy.

Outsorcery - Study of magical energies and how they are used to affect the physical (hence, Outside) world. Elemental manipulation, barrier creation and healing magic fall under this branch of magic, as does Teleportation and bodily augmentation, such as Reinforcement.

Insorcery - Study of magical energies and how they affect the mind (hence, Inside). Mind-reading, Clairvoyance, Farsight, Hypnosis, and other related magics fall under this branch of magic. Insorcery also teaches different ways to counteract and create barriers versus forces against the mind.

Necromancy - a fairly difficult and advanced branch of magic. Necromancy focuses on the study of magical energies and non-living and living organic beings. Not illegal, but novices are discouraged from practicing it because of the many ways your spells can go wrong.

Automancy - Study of how magic is used to manipulate non-organic structures. Students of this branch are usually expert magic puppeteers, or fortress or castle builders. A popular branch of magic because of its low-difficulty and high utility.

Pythomancy - Study of magical beasts. Actually not a branch that uses magic, but is still classified as one, nonetheless. Normal students are welcome to take it - provided they are ready for the risks.

Ouramancy - Study of Supreme Magical Beings (commonly known as Divine Spirits or Gods) and Lesser Magical Beings (commonly known as Cursing Spirits or Devils). Note that this is a rarely studied branch because it takes talent to interact with either Being. Ouramancers are often hired to appease these spirits or to communicate with honored ancestors. Because of the rarity of Ouramancers, they are held in high regard and extremely valuable to any empire.

Akasha-Deviancy - Study of the Universe, the flow of events, and the birth of concepts. The highest-class of magic. A theoretical branch only, and as such has no 'spells' associated with it.

Casting Style and System

The reason for chanting is similar to mnemonics, in this case, it works like this:
Spells are created and imagined by the individual. The way the spells work and what it's supposed to do is made in the mind initially, and the possibility of executing it is confirmed or denied by the knowledge one has plus the basic instinct that all Magestravi are born with - this is also the reason why experimenting with unknown magics is potentially fatal; your body has no precedent to warn you of the dangers of casting.

Chanting is a process a Magestrava does to guide him/her safely through the process of casting. Wordless casting is possible, but dangerous. Chanting is like a step-by-step process a Magestrava memorizes so he doesn't have to do to many calculations and double-checks while casting.

• On Motions:
  Motions are commonly used to physically direct where certain energies are gathered, and where a spell will form or be executed. For quickly made or complex spells, motions and energy become similar to a potter and his clay; he needs to direct things specifically because his mind his already busy with other things such as preparing the blueprint for the next step of the spell.
• On Magic Circles:
  Magic Circles are not really important for spell casting, but they do have their uses. Magic Circles are primarily used for barriers or wards. Magic Circles work kind of like a laptop without a battery; it has to be constantly plugged to an outlet (the caster, in this case) for it to be able to preform. Also, Magic Circles aren't just circles in the RP - they are customizable according to the logic of the user.
• On Enchantments:
  Enchantments work by both runes and by modifying the way an object works. Runed items are generally multi-purpose, with weak-to-moderate effects, while enchanted items have a finite lifespan and regularly need to be enchanted, but preform better than items with runes.

Sepcarim

Sepcarim - these are special cases in which a person can manipulate only one of the Maian, so while they technically aren't Magestrava, they aren't exactly normal either. Sepcarim consists of around 2% of the population, so as you can tell, are rare:

• Monks - people who can only manipulate Xi. They are generally recognized by their robust physicality and great strength. Monks typically make excellent bodyguards, knights or watchmen, due to this.
• Shamans - People who can only manipulate Karma. While their ability to manipulate the elements is fearsome it is also severely limited. They cannot cause destruction on the same level as normal Magistravi - this is because Nature (a capital 'N' implies that it is the collective consciousness of the land) abhors destruction, and will prevent them from doing massive damage that could affect nature. Also, rather than bending the energy to your will to get a desired outcome, it is more like Shamans borrow power from nature, and it is at their discretion whether or not to give you that power.
• Sykers - are people who can only use Sakra. They are adept at many things involving the mind. They can see across countries, predict the future, predict who is predicting the future, alter the predictions of people predicting the future, read minds, cause mass-hypnosis, and even alter memories en-mass. A downside, however, is that Sykers generally tend to be frail of health, as their body is trying to compensate for their abilities. They are also almost completely useless against supernatural entities.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Kicked out of Highschool? Ouch, hopefully this doesn't sound insensitive, but what did he do?

Mana-Script Academy For The Gifted Reboot

Meruin was probably going to get a migraine from dealing with these two - it hadn't happened yet, but she was sure it was going to happen.

Deus seemed to be mistaken about the reasoning behind her ability, but that was fine; a true magi never reveals her mysteries, after all. It was the secret behind the spell that gave it power, and the less of a secret it was, the less powerful it would be.

"I care not for what she's done before, Deus; the fact of the matter is that she is here now, and she will abide by the rules set in place for all of us. I don't want to make a habit of repeating myself, but I will do so for you to understand: This. Is. A. School. It is not your personal ring where you can kill as you wish. The same goes for Cornelia, however you were much closer in your efforts."

The short mage shook her head. She was really talking a lot today. Perhaps next time she would marshal a team fight rather than participate.

"I know my own limits, Deus. Talking about cause and effect is circular logic when it comes to magic - but that is a discussion for another time."

Meruin peered at Cornelia behind her. It seemed she'd yet to break out of the illusion placed upon her. No matter - nothing mattered as long as Hazy Moon existed.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

~Karen Antonius~

Karen laughed lightly, taking small graceful steps yet somehow keeping pace with Damian. "Do I need a reason to talk to someone?" answered Karen. The blonde took a large stride and placed herself ahead of Damian, a relaxed smirk on her face. "Well, I suppose my reason to talk with you would be to socialize, however talking is an act of socializing in itself; if we were to get pedantic, then my I suppose what I needed from you was someone to chat idly with. Nothing wrong with that, I hope?"

Then again, perhaps Damian did not make for good company if one wanted to talk. Karen, ever the perceptive girl that she was, felt that he was only ever relaxed when he was working by himself or otherwise with that friend of his; Nick, was it? Damian had a rather rough personality, in Karen's opinion, but it also felt like that roughness was a front - an image to hide behind. To Karen, he was one of the many people that hid something behind a personality. In most cases, that something was usually pain.

"Oh well, no matter. Things will come at their own pace, so for now, I will simply talk to him."

Karen did a little turn and faced Damian, peering up at him with that light smile still on her face. "So now that I have stated my reason for my approaching of you, allow me to ask again, if you will allow me to repeat myself: How goes your morning?"

_@Asuu

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

~Karen Antonius~

Karen took a sip of her tea, savoring the brew's deep taste to go along perfectly with the cool morning air. She'd been since 7 am, not for any particular reason; she just got up at the time and that was it. Seeing as going back to sleep was impossible and she had nothing better to do, she figured a bit of tea in the morning wouldn't be a problem. She'd used her own supply to avoid having to go downstairs to the kitchens, which would have been a hassle.

Soon enough other students began waking up and moving about. Some noticed her, some did not. Among those that did, many gave an awkard jump upon realizing that she was there, before try to scurry away as quickly as possible. Karen smiled and waved back pleasantly. It didn't seem to help there nerves. Yawning, she pulled out a tiny pocket watch from the robe she was wearing, and peered at it. It was nearly time for breakfast.

"Very well," she decided, sitting up from her chair, "I suppose it's best to be off by now."

Drawing her wand from a holster that was hiding within the sleeves of her robe, she pointed them at the used plate, and cup of tea. With a quick flick of her wrists, she preformed the Switching Spell, and in place of the used tableware was her rosary, red scarf, and golden cross. Picking the items up, she concealed the former in her robes while wearing the latter around her neck. Back then, these two object would attract considerable attention from most of the student-body, but now they've gotten used to it. Most of them, anyway.

Karen flung the red scarf around her neck and several males stepped back, looks of apprehension on their faces; they knew very well what the scarf was capable of doing. Karen laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I've nothing planned for today," she said reassuringly. "Unless of course, you want me to make plans for you . . . ?"

Her voice had taken an attractive tone, and it would have definitely been enticing had it not been for the underlying meaning behind them. The referenced students shook their head quickly and left. Karen, still smiling, stepped out of the common room after them, and was greeted with a familiar looking lion cub.

"Good morn, sir Damian," greeted Karen with a light smile on her face, walking up to side of the boy that wasn't being occupied by an overgrown kitty. "And to your companion as well. How goes your morning so far?"

Aah, idle conversation; it was truly the unmatched King of Activities when it came to passing time.

_@Asuu

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

@Tip Keep Dumbledore dead - it feels weird to have him alive xD

How about Karen?

Alma Mater Maximus

Haha, well, just tell me if you can get a post up by today~?